The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE), intends to participate in the activities of the Fifth Session of the International Renewable Energy Agency )IRENA), which is scheduled to take place from 17-18 January 2015 in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. His Excellency KACARE’s Vice-President, Dr. Waleed Hussein Abulfaraj will chair the Kingdom’s delegation. The delegation will comprise a number of specialists in the field of renewable energy. The Kingdom is presently endeavoring to sustainably introduce the renewable energy with all its multifarious variants into the cluster of national energy system. It is probably appropriate to point out that the sources of renewable energy available Kingdom-wide embrace the solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy and waste-to-energy. Furthermore, King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE) has conducted, in collaboration with its business partners, a detailed, in-depth study on the potential impacts of the introduction of renewable energy with variant capacities and technologies, into the electricity grid. The said study has demonstrated that the Kingdom does need to invest in an additional stand-by generation capacities in consequence of introduction of renewable energy. It goes without saying that the outcome of the said study was in keeping with the generally accepted and recognized experiences, in this field, of the international community around us— no state at all has constructed stand-by generation capacities, side by side with the introduction of renewable energy, even in those countries where renewable energy capacities have now reached several thousands of MW, i.e. Germany and Spain. KACARE is currently elaborating a detailed proposal to establish, in coordination with all business partners in electricity sector in the Kingdom, a Saudi Center for Sustainable Energy Control.

KACARE’s participation in the activities of IRENA will crown five participations in a row. The Kingdom is a member state in IRENA and has actively shared in its meetings and projects as well as in its voting process and deciding on its resolutions. This Session coincides with the Fifth Session of the activities of Abu Dhabi Week for Sustainability which is scheduled to take place during the period 17-24 January in Abu Dhabi. It is noteworthy that KACARE has over the past several years participated in the activities of World Future Energy Summit, which will be convened on the sideline of Abu Dhabi Week for Sustainability.

To this end, KACARE has taken several steps, for example, Renewable Energy Resources Atlas http://rratlas.energy.gov.sa/ . Moreover, the project of the integration and connection of renewable energy stations to the Saudi grid. The net result was modernization of the Code materials required for the integration of this type of stations in the system, as well as many other projects and initiatives which will surely promote and make even brighter the future of the renewable energy in the Kingdom, jointly with some other sectors concerned in this field. In addition, KACARE is presently working hand in hand with Saline Water Conversion Corporation to make it possible to make the best use of thermos-solar energy and wind energy technologies in the processes of drinking water conversion.