Future shines bright for solar

Manama : Bahrain aims to generate 5 per cent of its total electrical energy from renewable sources by 2025, said Electricity and Water Affairs Minister Dr Abdulhussain Mirza yesterday.

“Renewable energy will be rewarding for all parties in terms of clean energy,” the Minister said adding: “It would also create new jobs for Bahrainis.”

The Minister, citing the huge declines in the cost of solar energy, said, “Solar energy will help save large quantities of gas that are consumed to generate electricity, which can then be used in major industrial projects.”

In this regard, the Minister also pointed out that the Sustainable Energy Unit, which promotes the use of solar energy in the Kingdom, “seeks to cooperate and provide technical support to major projects in Bahrain”.

The Minister also assured that experts from the unit are ready to provide technical advice and assistance to “any existing or future projects in the country” while stressing on the need to achieve the goals of sustainable development.

The Minister was visiting the Avenues Mall development project to inspect the work progress of integrating solar energy solutions at the facility, which includes installation of solar panels on external parking garages.

United Nations Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative Amin Al Sharkawi and the Director of the Sustainable Energy Unit as well as Mohammed Salahuddin Consulting Engineering Bureau Chairman of the Board of Directors and a representative of the project’s owner, Nasser Abdul Salam, officials and engineers were present.

The minister thanked all officials and developers for their cooperation with sustainable development initiatives and their response to the implementation of the solar energy applications in the complex.