GCC may export power to Europe to help meet peak demand in winter
The Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) could export electricity to help meet Europe's peak demand in the winter, when
Middle East demand falls, says GCC Interconnection Authority systems operations and maintenance director Ahmed Ali
Ebrahim.
"Once the grid is up and running there will be the possibility of selling excess electricity up north, to Iraq, Syria
and Turkey and eventually to Europe. That is our vision," he said.
"In this region we are close to abundant supplies of cheap, natural resources and we will have the possibility of
exchanging power to meet the different seasonal cycles between Europe and the Middle East. In this part of the world
the high demand cycle is in the summer, when air-conditioning is needed.”
"With the development of more industry in the region, winter demand is increasing but we should still have the
potential for oversupply that would allow us to export electricity north, if the infrastructure is in place."
Mr Ebrahim was speaking at the Power-Gen Middle East conference and exhibition, which ended at the Bahrain
International Exhibition Centre.
Some 55 % of the power grid has already been constructed with a completion date set for December 24 for the grid to
be up and running between Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar. The link to the UAE and Oman could be complete by
the end of next year.