Gulf Construction Online - Power demand to top agenda at expo

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Al Khusaibi ... excellent platform.

Power demand to top agenda at expo

01 October 2010

VARIOUS opportunities opened up by the steady expansion of the Gulf’s energy sector will be fully explored this month (October 18 to 20) during GCC Power 2010, the region’s top electricity industry event.

The exhibition, being held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Doha, Qatar, will cover all aspects of production, transportation and distribution of electricity and will provide leading industry professionals, manufacturers, suppliers, contractors and specifiers direct access to project directors, GCC ministries, government bodies and a variety of high-level decision-makers involved in the electricity sector.

“The region is currently engaged in various infrastructure and business developments aimed at boosting electrical capacity and maintaining the region’s global edge in energy distribution,” says a spokesman for IFP Qatar, the organiser. “Its $1.4-billion unified electricity grid has already ended power cuts in four northern Gulf countries and will extend production even further when the UAE, the second-largest power network in the Gulf, is connected to it in early 2011.”

Development and expansion initiatives in the GCC’s electricity sector have been attracting the attention of major international companies as the region undertakes some of the largest electricity projects in the world, including a recent $3.5 billion contract awarded for an electricity network expansion in Qatar.

GCC Power 2010 is expected to gather a much greater number of international delegates than in previous years as the event has grown to include several other Arab countries.

“The increased participation will open further opportunities to build trade links, establish strategic partnerships and generate fresh business leads in the regional market,” he adds.

GCC Power 2010 will feature both the eighth regional conference for the national committees of Cigre (the International Council on Large Electric Systems) in the Arab countries and the 15th Exhibition for Electrical Equipment. This year’s edition is expected to be one of the biggest and unveil more strategic partnerships, networking opportunities and new business prospects.

The event expects to build on the GCC’s plans for large-scale investments for energy projects, technologies and techniques in line with the region’s spiralling energy demand, which is expected to increase by up to 85 per cent in 2030 over 2008 levels.

“As the Gulf’s interconnected electricity grid proves, a unified approach to electricity development is the best way to meet burgeoning regional demand, says George Ayache, general manager, IFP Qatar.

GCC Power 2010 is managed by GCC Cigre, the GCC regional committee for large electricity systems.

Thani Al Khusaibi, chairman, GCC Cigre, said: “GCC Power 2010 certainly provides an excellent platform for us to reach out to a wider range of audiences and generate greater awareness through various conferences, seminars and research activities.”

Speaking at a press conference last month, the manager for GCC Cigre, Ali Mohamed Al Ali, said: “GCC Power 2010 is the best platform for regional and global companies to identify opportunities and forge partnerships as the Gulf broadens the scope and capacity of its electrical energy sector. Gathering all electricity stakeholders to a single event enables them to gain clearer perspectives on where the industry is headed and identify key growth segments.

“Moreover, Qatar – the future home of the $2.6-billion Energy City, the Middle East’s first energy business centre – is a perfect host country for emphasising the role of energy in national development.”

The special conference will also provide valuable insights on system operation and control, system planning, development and technical studies, substations, power transformers and reactors, switchgear and HV (high-voltage) equipment, transmission lines and cables, HVDC and power electronics, and emerging technologies.