Saudi Arabia - Kingdom urged to invest in wind power

Local and international experts in wind technology have recommended that a large scale wind power development program be established in the Kingdom. This recommendation emerged from the two-day Wind Power Technology Forum which opened Saturday at the Research Center, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM).

To implement the development of wind power technology in the Kingdom, the experts urged the government to provide guidelines in the purchase of wind power produced from wind farms, and provide funds to establishments that set up wind farms in selected areas of the Kingdom
Local companies were also urged to manufacture turbine blades, turbine towers, and nacelle units. The construction industry is also being requested to develop the technology to design and construct specialized foundations for the installation of wind turbines.

Among the speakers were Dr. Stephan Bormann, Head of Marketing and Sales, Bard Engineering GmbH, Germany; Heiko Ross, Managing Director, Bard Engineering GmbH, Germany; Kai M?nnich, DEWI, GmbH, Germany; Jurgen Ravelling, Grid Connections International, GmbH, Germany; Dr. Ibrahim El-Amin, KFUPM; Dr. Habib Abualhamayel, Director CoRE-RE, RI, KFUPM; Dr. Abdurrahman Al-Ibrahim, Vice Governor ECRA, Riyadh; Said A. AlMoallem, GM, Power Transformer Co., AlTuwairqi Holding Co., Dammam; Danny da Cruz, CEO, SCC MENA Holding, Bahrain Financial Harbour; Dr. Farooq Saeed, Aerospace Engineering Department, KFUPM; Shafiqur Rehman, RI, KFUPM; and Dr. Faizur Rahman, CoRE-RE, RI, KFUPM.

Organizers said that because of the increasing energy requirements in the Kingdom, particularly from the industrial sector, it is high time for the Middle East in general and Saudi Arabia in particular to embark on the utilization of wind power to cope with the pace of the nation’s development.

For more information please contact Trevor Sievert at ts@windfair.net