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Mohammed ELBaradei.

Doubts over the availability of gas for power generation, growing demand for electricity, environmental concerns and the need to power desalination plants mean that many countries in the region are now planning to introduce nuclear into the energy mix.

There is a compelling argument for adding nuclear to the GCC energy mix.

Demand for electricity in the GCC is rising by an average of around 6% a year. But in some parts of the region it is much higher and likely to remain so despite the ongoing economic downswing. Demand growth in Qatar is running at 17% a year, with Dubai close behind at 16%.

A recent report by ratings agenecy Moody's says up to US $50bn could be spent in the GCC by 2015 in order to support an estimated increase in generation capacity of nearly 60,000 MW. Significant investments will also be needed to modernise transmission and distribution networks.

But add high per capita energy use and a desire to cash in on hydrocarbon exports to the equation and it is easy to see why the countries of the GCC are actively looking for alternative sources of power, including nuclear.

The benefits to the region are potentially huge; not only in terms of electricity supply but also to power the desalination plants that the region desperately needs.

Desalination

Around 65% of the desalination plants that are in operation worldwide are located in the region.  Most of these are dual-purpose multistage flash plants (MFP), producing power and water.

The cost-effectiveness of nuclear desalination varies from site to site but there is no technical reason why nuclear reactors could not supply heat or electricity or both to a desalination plant.

There is certainly a strong financial argument for nuclear as MSF plants energy intensive processes where the energy cost is a major component in the overall cost of desalination.

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READERS' COMMENTS

what about free desert energy
Posted by Hal-Luke Savas, London, United Kingdom on Sunday 21 December 2008 at 06:38 UAE time

The deserts and seas of Arabia are more than ample to provide almost all the energy for the region, so why play with fire of nuclear energy and get next generation hooked on to wasteful energy mixes of the 20th century!!??

Come on folks, why waste free energy and go and build nuclear time bombs ?

Hal-Luke Savas MBA FCIM MBIFM ICIOB aff.CIBSE
londonmanagement@aol.com

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