Bright days ahead for clean energy

Manama : Bahrain aims to increase the share of renewables in its energy mix to 5 per cent by 2025, and to 10pc by 2035, said Electricity and Water Affairs Minister Dr Abdulhussain Mirza yesterday. 

The minister was giving a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the International Conference on Sustainable Buildings and Renewable Energies, organised by the Kingdom University in collaboration with the International Renewable Energy Network.

Commenting on the theme of the conference ‘Sustainable Buildings and Renewable Energy’, the minister said that the government is looking forward to increasing the efficiency of energy consumption to 6pc by 2035. 

Explaining more about green energy plans, the minister said, “The sustainable development unit set up by the government aims to promote investment in renewable energy, particularly solar energy.”

In this regard, he highlighted the plan approved by the Council of Ministers, a year ago, to set up the National Energy Efficiency Commission (NEEAP) and the National Renewable Energy Plan (NREAP). 

Dr Mirza added that a national committee has also been established for the implementation of these initiatives. Minister for Electricity and Water Affairs chairs the committee. Members include senior officials from all relevant ministries and government bodies.

The National Energy Efficiency Plan

The National Energy Efficiency Plan includes 22 initiatives, the minister
said. 

For buildings: The plan includes a building efficiency code, specifications for lighting and home appliances, a green building initiative, classification of buildings in terms of efficiency, specifications of air conditioning, cooling areas as well as finding competent players in the field.

For the supply of electricity: The plan includes measures to enhance the efficiency of electricity production, the correction coefficient of loads, regulations for transmission and distribution of electricity and smart meters.

For the government side: The plan specifies efficiency of lamps for government buildings, green government procurement, street lighting and energy management.

For the economic sectors: The plan stipulates tariff restructuring, legislative structure, dissemination of information and data, while for the transport sector, it envisages efficient transport and restructuring of government support in the sector.

In the industrial sector: The plan includes programmes for industrial companies to raise energy efficiency.

The National Renewable Energy Plan

The National Renewable Energy Plan includes six initiatives. 

This includes: solar projects on rooftops, wind power projects on land and sea, large central solar power plant projects, solar home installation requirements and new projects (housing and investment projects), renewable energy requirements in new infrastructure projects such as bridges and railways Ferrous, electric power generation of organic materials extracted from wastewater.

Workshops 

The opening ceremony of the conference also included a speech by the university President Professor Yusuf Abdul Ghaffar and a speech by a representative of the International Renewable Energy Network. 

A series of workshops and lectures by experts and university professors from Britain, Italy, Romania, Iraq and Malaysia are also part of the deliberations.

The two-day conference will cover the latest developments in the field of energy and sustainable and green building design.