GCC Secretary General:
“Nuclear Program Study will be Submitted to 2007 Gulf Summit”Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat- Abdurrahman al-Attiyah, the secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), confirmed the existence of intensive efforts to complete all of the details related to studying the creation of a joint gulf nuclear program. This is a study that he was directed to perform at the “Jabir Summit” in Riyadh prior to the next gulf summit that has been decided to be held in the Omani capital of Muscat at the end of this year.
In a statement to “Asharq al-Awsat,” Al-Attiyah said that he is doing all he can to expedite the accomplishment of this study, in implementation of the Jabir Summit resolution, so that it can be placed on the gulf leaders’ table at the next summit. It is expected to be held at the end of 2007.
The secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council is noticeably active these days setting up everything related to the gulf nuclear program of a peaceful nature. The day before yesterday, he met Dr Salih al-Adhl, the head of the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia.
…In his comment on the nature of the talks that will be carried out with the officials of the IAEA, Al-Attiyah said that the gulf countries are starting out from the principle of transparency and clarity in their dealings. “In light of the nature of this peaceful program, we have decided to contact the officials in the IAEA, which stands in the forefront of the organizations connected with this file.”
Asharq Alawsat runs this article about the efforts of the Gulf Cooperation Council to create a regional nuclear energy program. Its citation of cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and its intended transparency of operations are intended to alleviate concerns that it is seeking atomic weaponry.
As I’ve noted before, while the Gulf sits on the bulk of the world’s petroleum reserves, those reserves are still finite: they will one day be exhausted. Solar energy could be an alternative for the production of energy, but the technology does not yet exist, at least at a feasible price. The growing demand for electricity, for everything from desalination to air conditioning, will result in the Gulf’s being among the highest users of electric power in the near future.
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January:24:2007 - 16:32
Regarding “GCC Looks for Nuclear Power” (2007-01-24), there really is no need for nuclear power anywhere in the Middle East because there is a simple mature technology available that can deliver huge amounts of clean energy without any of the headaches of nuclear power.
I refer to ‘concentrating solar power’ (CSP), the technique of concentrating sunlight using mirrors to create heat, and then using the heat to raise steam and drive turbines and generators, just like a conventional power station. It is possible to store solar heat in melted salts so that electricity generation may continue through the night or on cloudy days. This technology has been generating electricity successfully in California since 1985 and half a million Californians currently get their electricity from this source. CSP plants are now being planned or built in many parts of the world.
CSP works best in hot deserts and, of course, these are not always nearby. But it is feasible and economic to transmit solar electricity over very long distances using highly-efficient ‘HVDC’ transmission lines. With transmission losses at about 3% per 1000 km, solar electricity may, for example, be transmitted from North Africa to London with only about 10% loss of power. A large-scale HVDC transmission grid has also been proposed by the wind energy company Airtricity as a means of optimising the use of wind power throughout Europe.
CSP offers substantial benefits to people in North Africa and the Middle East, including desalination of sea water using waste heat from electricity generation – a major benefit in arid regions. In addition, the shaded areas under the solar mirrors can be used for many purposes including horticulture using desalinated sea water. And of course, there would be plentiful supplies of inexpensive, pollution-free electricity and earnings from the export of that electricity to countries with less sunshine.
In the recent ‘TRANS-CSP’ report commissioned by the German government, it is estimated that CSP electricity, imported from North Africa and the Middle East, could become one of the cheapest sources of electricity in Europe, including the cost of transmission. That report shows in great detail how Europe can meet all its needs for electricity, make deep cuts in CO2 emissions, and phase out nuclear power at the same time.
Further information about CSP may be found at http://www.trec-uk.org.uk and http://www.trecers.net . Copies of the TRANS-CSP report may be downloaded from http://www.trec-uk.org.uk/reports.htm . The many problems associated with nuclear power are summarised at http://www.mng.org.uk/green_house/no_nukes.htm .
January:24:2007 - 16:39
Thanks for the info.
June:03:2008 - 11:32
[...] if this is going to be the sole avenue of energy production in the Gulf. You may recall the recent hubhub over the fact that the Gulf countries are looking into nuclear energy. In fact, now even places [...]