Electricity and Water Affairs Minister Dr. Abdulhussain Mirza inaugurated the Sun Solar Facilities Network Forum, organized by the Crescent International at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre.
Ambassadors, senior officials and invitees from various government and private sectors were present.
The forum was held on the sidelines of the Gulf Industry Exhibition, which was inaugurated on Monday by His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister.
The forum served as a platform for the exchange of knowledge on solar and renewable energy technology and on the challenges and opportunities in the solar energy sector, generating solar power and government policies. It also addressed issues relating to energy storage and the supply of manpower needed to work in the sector.
In his keynote speech, the minister spoke about the sustainable energy sector in Bahrain and the importance of the leadership in the vital sector as well as its endeavor to secure sustainable development.
The minister said one of the important steps taken by the government in seeking to secure a green environment and clean energy was the establishment of the Sustainable Energy Unit in cooperation with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The unit is charged with encouraging investment in renewable energies like solar energy.
He said the government has set national goals to achieve specific percentages of total renewable energy, such as 5 per cent of energy consumption being renewable by 2025. It had also set a goal of increasing energy efficiency by 6 per cent by 2025.
In his speech, the minister also outlined the details of the National Energy Efficiency Plan (NEEAP) and the National Renewable Energy Plan (NREAP). He explained Bahrain’s plans in the field of sustainable energy and the steps the Council of Ministers had taken to build a solar 100 mw power station.
He also spoke of the Council of Ministers’ decision to approve regulations relating to the solar energy distributed on the roofs of houses and facilities and the procedures for their safe connection to the government electricity grid.
Dr. Mirza thanked the forum organizers, headed by Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions Group Anwar Mohammed Abdulrahman, as well as sponsors, speakers and participants.