As we look at the decade ahead and beyond, there can be no doubt that gas will continue to play a critical role in the Middle East’s energy mix.
The underlying factors behind this projection and next-gen solutions that will continue to drive the power sector forward were highlighted at a GE Gas Power media roundtable held recently under the theme “The Evolving Energy Landscape and the Role of Gas in Securing the Middle East’s Energy Future.” The roundtable was addressed by Joseph Anis, president and CEO of GE Gas Power MENA and South Asia (MENASA); Salim Mousallam, executive sales leader for GE Gas Power Gulf and Pakistan; and Mohamed Serag, regional engineering manager, GE Gas Power MENASA.
On the supply side, the discovery and development of new gas reservoirs in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other countries across the Middle East will help drive fuel self-sufficiency and energy independence. Advancements made in liquefied natural gas (LNG) are also expected to ease access to gas.
At the demand end, power consumption in the region is also likely to continue to grow. The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) expects demand for power in the Middle East to reach 2,419 terawatt hours (TWh) by 2040, almost double the 2016 levels. “Several factors contribute to this trend. The region is a hub for industries such as smelters and cement, which depend on large, uninterrupted supplies of power as an essential input. Many countries such as Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and others continue to experience frequent energy shortages and need to add significant new capacity to their grids to meet the needs of present and future generations,” said Anis. “Additionally, MENA’s population is projected to continue to grow faster than the global average for the foreseeable future, from over 448 million in 2018 to more than 719 million in 2050. This growth will drive further demand for efficient, affordable and reliable power.”
Gas power is an excellent complement to renewable energy as the world, MENA included, transitions to cleaner sources of power generation.
A key driver in leveraging the “age of gas” is the development of advanced technologies. Today, GE has the world’s largest installed base of over 7,500 gas turbines with more than 200 million operating hours and is helping customers around the world to unlock the potential of gas. GE’s HA gas turbine technology, for example, has already set two world records for efficiency, one each in the 60 hertz and 50 hertz segments of the global power market.
“Gas will be at the heart of the energy sector of the future and GE Gas Power will continue to be a partner of growth for countries across the Middle East as they strengthen national power infrastructure further,” added Anis.