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Conventional Power Plants will Continue for More Time: IPPF

DUBAI - Even though the initiatives in the renewable energy sector are a welcome development, the world will have to rely on conventional power plants for some more time for meeting the growing electricity requirements, according to the officials of the Independent Power Producers Forum (IPPF).

Making a media presentation here on Thursday on the ensuing Power-Gen Middle East conference-cum exhibition in Bahrain the IPPF officials said there was no alternative to relying on the conventional power generating units including the nuclear reactors and fossil fuel-based plants for some more decades, as the renewables were yet to establish as commercially viable electricity sources for the growing global population.

“It is important to do a reality check and assess what is the level of development in the renewable energy sector. Renewables are getting good push in several countries including the UAE. They may account for a significant share in the future global energy mix.”

“But as of today the renewables account only about one per cent of the global power generation. And the electricity requirements are set to increase drastically across the world. As per the projections the power generation even in this region set to grow by 100 gigawatts by ten years and this might call investments to the tune of 100 billion pounds. Almost 100 per cent of this projected growth was likely to be accounted by conventional power plants.”

According to them steps could be taken in the interim to reduce the pollution levels from the fossil fuel based power plants.

The plants units could be persuaded to introduce carbon capture and storage systems. But it will be impossible to eliminate the conventional power plants till the technologies of renewables are scaled up and made commercially viable.

Replying to questions they said nuclear power plants can also be relied as an interim solution till the full-fledged development of the renewables. There are now safer and greener designs of nuclear reactors available now, they argued. IPPF Secretary General Joel Laykin and Nigel Blackaby of PennWell International Power Group who is the Director of Conferences in charge of the Power-Gen Middle East were present at the media presentation.

ramavarman@khaleejtimes.ae