77% of exhibitors believe they improved their prospects in the region.
Bahrain
In Bahrain itself, GDP levels are running in the 5-7 per cent per annum range. The emergence of new construction projects like the planned offshore resort and Bahrain Investment Wharf has meant new installed capacity being added and additional desalination plant built. In May 2006, the first power was delivered from the expanded 950 MW Al Ezzel power plant and an additional 272 million litres desalination unit is being built at the Al Hidd power and water complex. A modernization of the 709 MW Riffaa II power plant is underway and an expansion is planned at the Alba Aluminium smelter that will add an additional 655 MW.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has one of the largest per capita electricity consumption rates in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia needs to expand its power and network capacity to support the country¿s industrialization plan as power demand grows by 7% or more each year. Saudi Arabia¿s Industry and Electricity Ministry estimates that the country will require an additional 67,000 MW of power generating capacity by 2030, compared to 35,000 MW today, at an estimated cost in excess of $100 billion. So far four IWPPs have been committed, with an investment of $6.1 billion.
United Arab Emirates
The UAE is seeing an increase of 9% per year in the demand for power and the government is planning to expand its 9,500 MW of installed capacity by more than 50 per cent over the next decade, with an investment requirement of over $8 billion.
The Abu Dhabi power sector, about 7,000 MW, now includes five independent water and power projects, of which approximately 60% is controlled by ADWEA. One of these projects, the Fujairah 2 project due to commence construction in 2007, will have a capacity of 2000 MW and 130 million gallons of water a day. Investments of more than $10 billion has already been pumped into the water and power since Abu Dhabi embarked on its privatisation drive in 1998 and the country still requires an additional 2000 MW of new capacity each year over the next 15 years.
Dubai
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority continues to invest heavily to raise power generation and desalination capacity to match demands as a result of the boom in residential and commercial development.
With an annual increase in demand of 18% Dubai is experiencing massive growth. With plans for increasing capacity by 6000 MW to 9800 MW by 2010, at an investment of $5.4 billion, the country is at the heart of the hunger for energy.
In response to this demand, DEWA has announced the construction of their largest project to date, the Jebel Ali Power and Desalination Station L Phase 2, designed to deliver 1200 MW and 80 million gallons of water per day at a cost of $325 million.
Kuwait
Kuwait has not developed any new power plants in the last four years, leaving risk from a full-blown energy crisis when peak demand is reached.
The country is currently going through an overhaul and current power and water projects investment is estimated at over US$8 billion, as increasing demand in power is required to support the construction and oil and gas industries developments, estimated at over £200 million.
Egypt
With GDP growth at between 7 and 9 per cent for the forseeable future, Egypt is experiencing steady growth encouraged by privatization, liberalization and deregulation of the economy.
Egypt participates in planning for the East African Power Pool and in the Co-ordinating Committee for Operating the Arab Interconnecting Networks. Both are likely to result in further interconnections and studies have already been carried out on upgrading interconnections between Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco from 220kV to 500kV.
Egypt's own requirement for an additional 6925 MW of new generating capacity between 2007 and 2012 aims to bring total generating capacity to 23,800 MW. She is also likely to continue to use independent power projects to try to attract private sector developers.
