“There is no doubt that this exponential growth imposes enormous challenges ahead requires massive investments in infrastructure and energy investments to keep growth going,” the Minister of State for Electricity and Water Affairs told the Forum on Monday.
The 4th Energy and Water Conservation Expo and Forum organized by Electricity and Water Authority in cooperation with Bahrain Society of Engineers and effective support by National Oil and Gas Authority and with participation of Tamkeen.
Highlighting the challenges, the Minister said that the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain was seeking to meet these challenges through three main axes.
“Firstly: Strengthening the infrastructure of the electricity sector, by increasing the production capacity of the production plants and electricity transmission and distribution networks. As well as raising the national electricity grid reliability through system link to the Kingdom of Bahrain to the standard electricity network in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, through The GCC Interconnection Authority (GCCIA).
“Second: The search for alternative sources of energy, where is the Kingdom of Bahrain has undertaken several initiatives in this regard in order to experience alternative energies such as solar and wind power. The Electricity and Water Authority plans to build a pilot power plant card 5 MW in the coming months a 3 MW of solar power and 2 MW of wind power, which is another breakthrough achieved by the Kingdom of Bahrain in renewable energy. In addition to it’s already Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) on building the experimental solar power station with a capacity of 5 MW, supplying a number of sites in the Kingdom by solar, including Awali city, refinery and the University of Bahrain.
“Third: Rationalization and energy conservation, perhaps the current celebration of opening this forum and the accompanying exhibition and workshop, Hurt in this important axis, where conservation is seen as a source of cheap energy savings. What distinguishes the rationalization for the rest of the axis is at very low cost compared to other two axes. This theme also features other lucrative benefits, such as reducing polluting emissions resulting from the burning of fossil fuels, reducing investment costs and routine maintenance and emergency. It has also other advantages in relation to the operation of the transmission and distribution networks and improve their efficiency and reduce breakdowns and the severances electrical faults,” he added.
It drew my attention to this effect recently, I read about water companies in Australia that put part of the Hadith of the Prophet (PBUH) for water saving on water bottles in Australia, with the following words: “Do not waste water even if you were at a running stream. Prophet Mohammed”
And in the Hadith that Messenger of Allah, peace is upon him he passed by Saad Bin Abi Waqas, he said: what is this overkill? He said: AVI ablution profusion? He said peace and blessings are upon him: Yes and that if you’re running River.
He said the Forum’s continuity of organization this event for the fourth consecutive time, was a proof of the success of the Organizers in attracting all those interested in the field of energy and water conservation, officials, professionals, academics and businessmen.
“Electricity and Water Authority since 1999, to establish a special Department to electricity and water conservation, where mandated programmes and projects the electricity and water conservation, program such as thermal insulation in buildings, assessment of buildings, energy audit, improve the efficiency of electrical appliances, and others.”
“Among the initiatives of the Authority are currently implemented, a project will improve the efficiency of lighting in the residential sector, which is implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance and the World Bank. This project aims to improve the lighting efficiency through the implementation in two phases: the first phase of removal of incandescent (tungsten) poor efficiency from subscriber homes, and replace them with more efficient lamps at 80%, where about two million lamps with low efficiency in the residential sector will replace, whit more paid efficient lamps.”
“The second phase includes the development of regulations and technical and legal measures to prohibit the manufacture and import of such low efficiency incandescent bulbs. It is expected that the implementation of this project is to save about BD11 million.
“As the Authority, in cooperation and continuous coordination with the National Oil and Gas Authority for establishment national events, awareness campaigns and programmes for energy and resource conservation and development, where the two Authority would continue for the third consecutive year, in organizing joint national campaign for energy and water conservation.
“We are in process of the necessary procedures for the establishment of an integrated national center to focus on the renewable energy and conservation energy in the Kingdom of Bahrain.”