Category Archives: Renewable Energy

Introduction to Solar Pond

By | | ,
2 Comments

A solar pond is a three-dimensional, open-air pit, filled with water endowed with special properties. It receives solar energy through insulation, then the trapped heat is extracted from it from the water lying at the bottom of the pond. When solar energy falls onto the pond, it heats the water, splitting it into three sections: the first section is the uppermost layer, or Surface Zone, containing fresh water with a low level of salinity. This owes to the fact that salts gather at the bottom. The second layer is the middle layer, called the insulating layer or Insulation Zone, whose … Continue reading →

الطاقه المتجددة بالمغرب العربي

By | | , ,
2 Comments

المغرب، كونها أكبر مستورد للطاقة في شمال أفريقيا، تبذل جهودا مركزة للحد من اعتمادها على الوقود الأحفوري المستورد. وتعتبر الطاقة المتجددة  مصدر موثوق في بلد مثل المغرب العربي التي لديها الاعتماد الكامل تقريبا على شركات الطاقة المستوردة.والمغرب تنفق سنويا  أكثر من 3 مليارات دولار على واردات الوقود والكهرباء في حين انها تشهد نمو الطلب على الطاقة بمعدل 6.5 في المئة سنويا. وفقا لتقرير الوزارة المغربية للطاقة والتعدين، الطاقة الإجمالية المركبة للطاقة المتجددة (باستثناء الطاقة المائية) ما يقرب من 300ميجا وات في عام 2011. وقد حققت الحكومة المغربية بالفعل هدفها المتمثل في توفير حوالي 8٪ من إجمالي الطاقة الأولية من مصادر … Continue reading →

Unleashing Solar Power in Saudi Arabia

By | | , ,
6 Comments

Saudi Arabia is the largest consumer of petroleum in the Middle East, with domestic consumption reaching 4 million barrels per day in 2012 out of daily production of 10 million barrels. Saudi Arabia’s primary energy consumption per capita is four times higher than the world average. Strong industrial growth, subsidized oil prices, increasing energy demand for electricity and transportation is leading to a growing clamor for oil in the country. The total energy consumption in the Kingdom is rapidly rising at an average rate of about 6 percent per annum. Solar Energy Prospects in KSA To meet the rising local … Continue reading →

Solar Energy Prospects in Tunisia

By | | , ,
11 Comments

Tunisia is an energy-dependent country with modest oil and gas reserves. Around 97 percent of the total energy is produced by natural gas and oil, while renewables contribute merely 3% of the energy mix. The installed electricity capacity at the end of 2015 was 5,695 MW which is expected to sharply increase to 7,500 MW by 2021 to meet the rising power demands of the industrial and domestic sectors. Needless to say, Tunisia is building additional conventional power plants and developing its solar and wind capacities to sustain economic development. Wind Energy in Tunisia Wind power represents the main source of renewable energy in … Continue reading →

Biomass Resources in Jordan

By | | ,
Leave a comment

With high population growth rate, increase in industrial and commercial activities, high cost of imported energy fuels and higher GHGs emissions, supply of cheap and clean energy resources has become a challenge for the Jordanian Government. Consequently, the need for implementing renewable energy projects, especially solar, wind, biomass and energy-from-waste, has emerged as a national priority in recent years. Jordan has substantial biomass resources in the form of municipal solid wastes, sewage, industrial wastes and animal manure. Municipal solid wastes represent the best source of biomass in Jordan. Solid waste generation in the country is approximately 2 million tons per … Continue reading →

Renewable Energy Investment in Jordan

By | | , ,
1 Comment

Jordan has tremendous wind, solar and biomass energy potential which can only be realized by large-scale investments. In 2007, the Government of Jordan developed an integrated and comprehensive Energy Master Plan. Renewable energy accounted for only 1% of the energy consumption in Jordan in 2007. However, ambitious targets have been set in the Master Plan to raise the share to 7% in 2015 and 10% in 2020. This transition from conventional fuels to renewable energy resources will require capital investments, technology transfer and human resources development, through a package of investments estimated at US $ 1.4 – 2.2 billion. The … Continue reading →

Saudi Arabia Biorefinery from Algae (SABA) Project

By | | , ,
8 Comments

The King Abdulaziz City for Science & Technology (KACST) is funding an innovative project called Saudi Arabia Biorefinery from Algae (SABA Project) to screen for lipid hyper-producers species in Saudi Arabia coastal waters. These species will be the basis for next-generation algal biofuel production. The goal of this project is to increase research and training in microalgae-based biofuel production as well algal biomass with an additional goal of using a biorefinery approach that could strongly enhance Saudi Arabia economy, society and environment within the next 10 years. The primary mission of the SABA project is to develop the Algae Based … Continue reading →

What are Biofuels

By | | ,
7 Comments

Biofuel refers to liquid or gaseous fuels that are predominantly produced from biomass. A variety of fuels can be produced from biomass resources including liquid fuels, such as ethanol, methanol, biodiesel, Fischer-Tropsch diesel, and gaseous fuels, such as hydrogen and methane. Resource Base for Biofuels Production The biomass resource base for biofuels production is composed of a wide variety of forestry and agricultural resources, industrial processing residues, municipal solid wastes and urban wood residues. The agricultural resources include grains used for biofuels production, animal manures and residues, and crop residues derived primarily from corn and small grains (e.g., wheat straw). … Continue reading →

Waste-to-Energy Outlook for the Middle East

By | | , ,
4 Comments

High-income Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait are counted as world’s largest waste producers in terms of per capita waste generation which is more than 2kg per day in some countries. The urban waste generation from the region has now crossed 150 million tons per year which has forced policy-makers and urban planners to seriously look for sustainable waste management solutions, including recycling and waste-to-energy. Let us take a look at solid waste generation in major countries across the Middle East region: Country MSW Generation (million tons per annum) Saudi Arabia 15 United Arab Emirates … Continue reading →

Biomass Energy in Middle East

By | | ,
5 Comments

The major biomass producing countries in the Middle East are Egypt, Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Jordan. Traditionally, biomass energy has been widely used in rural areas for domestic energy purposes in the Middle East region, especially in Egypt, Yemen and Jordan. Since most of the region is arid or semi-arid, the biomass energy potential is mainly contributed by municipal solid wastes, agricultural residues and industrial wastes. According to conservative estimates, the potential of biomass energy in the MENA region is about 400TWh per year. Municipal solid wastes represent the best source of biomass in Middle East countries. Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, … Continue reading →

جامعات خضراء في فلسطين

By | | , ,
Leave a comment

بدأت الجامعات الفلسطينية بربط النظربات العلمية التي تدرس في مساقاتها وبرامجها الاكاديمية  بالواقع العملي وحيث بدأت الجانعات الفلسطينية وبتميل من مؤسسات مجلية ودولية باستغلال اللطاقة البديلة من الشمس لتوليد الكهرباء باستخدام تقنية اللوحات الكهروضوئية لانتاج الطاقة الكهربائية والتي تساعد في  توفير استهلاك الكهرباء الذي يشغل جميع أبنية وقاعات ومراكز الجامعات بالطاقة لتوفير وذلك لتوفير الجو التعليمي المناسب لطلبتها  . وتأتي هذه الخطوة الريادية من قبل الجامعات الفلسطينية لتوفير استهلاك الكهرباء بحيث تكون مبان الجامعات أكثر صداقة للبيئة وتقلل ميزانية المدفوعات التي يتم دفعها ثمناً لاستهلاك الكهرباء والوقود واستغلالها بدعم برامج وأبحاث جديدة تساعد في تنمية مهارات طلبتها . كما أن … Continue reading →

مشاريع الطاقة المتجددة في الأردن لعام 2013 – بين التخطيط و التطبيق

By | | , ,
16 Comments

أصبح البحث عن مصادر الطاقة المتجددة في الأردن هو الشغل الشاغل لجميع مسؤولين و باحثين كثر في هذا المجال , و رغم بطء التنفيذ و صعوبته أحيانا إلا أنه من الصعب التغاضي عن إيجاد طاقة بديلة عن النفط و الغاز في المملكة .حسب الإحصائيات الواردة في ندوة ( واقع الطاقة بين الاستهلاك والترشيد في الوطن العربي ) والتي عقدت في جامعة عمّان الأهلية ما بين أيلول و سبتمبر العام الحالي , فإن الأردن يستورد اكثر من 97% من مجمل احتياجاته من الطاقة، وان كلفة الطاقة المستوردة العام الماضي بلغت حوالي 4.6 مليار دينار، مشكلة 21% من الناتج المحلي الاجمالي . … Continue reading →