GCC grid will not be able to plug the supply gap

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Saleh al Awaji, deputy minister for electricty.

The GCC interconnected grid will not be able to satisfy member states' additional power requirements as had originally been expected because consumption growth is too strong, a Saudi minister has admitted.

Instead the link will just improve network stability by enabling reserve sharing and emergency exchange of energy.

Speaking at the Utilities Expansion and Investment congress held in Dubai at the end of May, Saudi Arabia's deputy minister for electricity Saleh al Awaji commented: "The GCC Grid was designed almost 15 years ago and back then [the scope of the project] was relatively reasonable. In future it might be increased and perhaps additional capacity may be added through a new power line.

He added: "It will not meet requirements as it cannot match the high growth of the power sector in region, but it will still achieve major benefits.

At the conference it was also revealed that there will no longer be a phase three to the GCC interconnection project.

"Fortunately the UAE has now decided to join the phase one stage, therefore there will be no phase three in the project execution and we hope that the full grid will be operational by the end of 2009," al Awaji said.

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