Recently, financial powerhouse Piper Jaffray sent some top brass on a tour of the Middle East to discuss and develop renewable energy projects. In addition to Piper Jaffray and the U.S. Departments of Energy and Commerce, participants included oil and gas companies, construction conglomerates, national utilities, and government officials.

The tour began with meetings in Egypt, but as the week continued it moved to Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

You see, Abu Dhabi is especially relevant to the search for a renewable energy answer.

In April 2006, the growing global demand for renewable energy surfaced in the Middle East, with a project called the Masdar Initiative in Abu Dhabi.

Briefly, here is a description of the plans concerning Masdar.

Masdar itself will be a city 11 miles (17km) east-south-east of the city of Abu Dhabi. Relying entirely on solar energy and other sources of renewable energy, it will create a sustainable zero-carbon, zero-waste ecology.

Mandated by the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (ADFEC) and designed by the British architectural firm Foster & Partners, the city of Masdar will be planned based upon the compact nature of a walled city.

Examples of this will be pedestrian friendly shaded walkways, narrow streets, and a maximum distance of 200m to the nearest personalized transport system.

Norman Foster of Foster & Partners describes the company's projection of the plans for Masdar:

The environmental ambitions of the Masdar Initiative - zero carbon and waste free - are a world first. They have provided us with a challenging design brief that promises to question conventional urban wisdom at a fundamental level. Masdar promises to set new benchmarks for the sustainable city of the future.

Outside the city will be wind and photovoltaic farms, as well as research fields and plantations, adding to the city's sustainable features.

Abu Dhabi's transition from technology consumer to technology producer depends on Masdar's successful adoption of these plans for sustainable energy, carbon management, and water utilization.

From Masdar to Egypt, Renewable Energy Takes Root

The Piper Jaffray meetings in Egypt revealed that the demand for energy in this region will eventually exhaust traditional natural gas-peaking plants. As Egypt relies primarily on the Nile, hydroelectric energy is pretty much out of the question, but Egypt's potential in wind and solar energy has gathered interest.

Sufficient wind sources have been found in Sinai, with over 100 MW already installed. Currently, bids are being offered by the national utility for 400MW with the assistance of several large turbine OEMs to local partners.

Egypt possesses some of the best solar resources in the world, coming in at around 2000-3200 kWh per year. Yet the region currently has just one megawatt-scale project, and solar has been limited to off-grid installations. Although its potential has been recognized, clearly there is work to be done.

The discussions for developing renewable energy sources in the Middle East have only just begun.

Until next time,

Emily