Sustainable Energy Unit goals outlined

Manama : A Sustainable Energy Unit has been set up to focus on utilisation and investment in renewable energy as well as energy conservation, said Minister of Electricity and Water Affairs Dr. Abdulhussain Mirza yesterday.

The unit, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, has been approved by the Council of Ministers. A work plan prepared by expert consultants was presented to higher authorities, following which an action plan was set up to implement the renewable energy programme.

The Minister said the unit is now working to determine the tariff for the purchase of solar energy for homeowners. “These plans contain detailed strategies to reduce energy consumption, which in turn help save millions of dollars in the future.”

Other goals of the unit include a comprehensive assessment of the sources of electricity and water production and framing a government policy on energy strategies.

The unit will support energy projects and capacity building, besides encouraging training and cooperation with research institutions and universities.

It will also monitor the performance of renewable energy programme and the development of technical and economic performance indicators besides preparing periodic reports to be submitted to the government.

Mirza pointed out that there is a global trend in the exploitation of renewable energy, especially in light of the current energy crisis experienced by many countries and the recent decline in the cost of renewable energy. 

“Many countries rely on fossil energy for power generation. So the world has started to pay attention to environmental effects caused by this, in addition to the expected fate of the depletion of these resources after a period of time,” he said.

“In Bahrain, the focus will be on solar and wind energy as well as generating energy from waste,” he added.