Minister of Water and Electricity Abdullah Al-Hussayen attended the strategic forum titled “Partners in energy supply efficiency” on Thursday.

The forum, which was organized by the Ministry of Water and Electricity and General Electric (GE), discussed innovative approaches to enhance the Kingdom’s energy supply.

The event attracted experts representing the ministry, the Saudi Electricity and Cogeneration Regulatory Authority, Saline Water Conversion Corporation, the Saudi Electricity Company, Saudi Aramco, the Saudi Energy Efficiency Center, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, and other key industry stakeholders.

The event presented a detailed landscape of the Saudi energy sector, and discussed the trends in energy supply efficiency, regulations to promote efficiency, partnerships to overcome related challenges and the solutions needed for the future.

Addressing the challenges facing the sector, Al-Hussayen said, “The authorities responsible for power service are exerting tremendous efforts to strengthen the sector. The key challenge is the increase in annual demand for power at an average of 8-9 percent. It is also expected that the peak load will increase to 90K MWs within the next 10 years. To address this, investments of SR500 billion are required in addition to the cost of operating the plants, which require large amounts of fuel. It is therefore a focus for us to reduce the costs involved, by working together with partners to enhance energy supply efficiency.”

Azeez Mohammed, president and CEO of Power Generation Services and GE Power and Water in the Middle East and Africa, said: “With about 500 GE turbines generating more than 50 percent of Saudi Arabia’s power, we serve as a long-term partner in meeting the energy requirements of the Kingdom. We conducted a detailed supply side energy-efficiency study, which clearly identifies solutions that could support the Kingdom’s efforts in reducing its fuel consumption while providing simultaneously higher output power.”

The study emphasized that energy efficiency is the solution toward utilizing energy in an effective manner while saving resources. The approach takes into account the implementation cost, installation of new power generation facilities, operating costs, implementation time frame and environmental impact. “We are committed to introducing an energy efficiency platform that supports key stakeholders to create a culture of aligned business thinking and decision making to drive efficiency in the Kingdom,” added Mohammed.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Khorsheed, general manager of GE Saudi Innovation Center, stressed that GE is committed to addressing Saudi Arabia’s developmental needs. He explained that by means of research, new technologies can be developed that will enhance the efficiency of the currently installed base.