In Pursuit of Sustainable Energy Sources : Challenges and Solutions

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In Pursuit of Sustainable Energy Sources : Challenges and Solutions

Karim Elgendy, Founder and Coordinator of Carboun, was recently commissioned by Frederich Ebert Foundation (Frederich Ebert Stiftung) to produce a set of visual guides to renewable energy in the Arab World to coincide with the 23rd Conference of Parties (COP23). The infographic below is the third of three visual guides. It represents an analysis of the challenges facing renewable energy growth in the Arab World. The three guides, which were researched and designed by Karim Elgendy for the Frederich Ebert Foundation, were based on raw data provided by International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Regional Center for Renewable energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE), Lazard, World Energy Council, and Bloomberg. Copyrights for this infographic are reserved for the Frederich Ebert Foundation and the author. No reproduction or republishing of any infographic or part thereof without prior written consent from Frederich Ebert Foundation and the author. Guide 1 covers the state of the region and Guide 2 covers Regional Aspirations. They can also be reached via the infographics page.

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In Pursuit of Sustainable Energy Sources : Regional Aspirations

RE-infographics-banner

In Pursuit of Sustainable Energy Sources : Regional Aspirations

Karim Elgendy, Founder and Coordinator of Carboun, was recently commissioned by Frederich Ebert Foundation (Frederich Ebert Stiftung) to produce a set of visual guides to renewable energy in the Arab World to coincide with the 23rd Conference of Parties (COP23). The infographic below is the second of three visual guides. It represents a review of plans and aspirations to grow renewable energy capacities in the Arab World and the scale of planned increase in renewable energy capacity. The three guides, which were researched and designed by Karim Elgendy for the Frederich Ebert Foundation, were based on raw data provided by International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Regional Center for Renewable energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE), Lazard, World Energy Council, and Bloomberg. Copyrights for this infographic are reserved for the Frederich Ebert Foundation and the author. No reproduction or republishing of any infographic or part thereof without prior written consent from Frederich Ebert Foundation and the author. Guide 1 covers the state of the region and Guide 3 covers Challenges and Solutions. They can also be reached via the infographics page.

Continue reading In Pursuit of Sustainable Energy Sources : Regional Aspirations

In Pursuit of Sustainable Energy Sources : The State of the Region

RE-infographics-banner

In Pursuit of Sustainable Energy Sources : The State of the Region

Karim Elgendy, Founder and Coordinator of Carboun, was recently commissioned by Frederich Ebert Foundation (Frederich Ebert Stiftung) to produce a set of visual guides to renewable energy in the Arab World to coincide with the 23rd Conference of Parties (COP23). The infographic below is the first of three visual guides. It represents an analysis of the state of renewable energy in the Arab World region in its regional context. The three guides, which were researched and designed by Karim Elgendy for the Frederich Ebert Foundation, were based on raw data provided by International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Regional Center for Renewable energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE), Lazard, World Energy Council, and Bloomberg. Copyrights for this infographic are reserved for the Frederich Ebert Foundation and the author. No reproduction or republishing of any infographic or part thereof without prior written consent from Frederich Ebert Foundation and the author. Guide 2 covers Regional Aspirations and Guide 3 covers Challenges and Solutions. They can also be reached via the infographics page.

Continue reading In Pursuit of Sustainable Energy Sources : The State of the Region

Carbon Footprint of Electricity in the Middle East

Guy El Khoury

Despite the increasing global interest in renewable energy sources, electricity generation remains largely dependent on fossil fuels with approximately 70% of the world’s electricity currently being generated using coal, natural gas, and petroleum products. Coal, the most carbon intensive of the fossil fuels, accounts for the largest share of electricity generated globally, with 40% of all electricity generated.

Such reliance on fossil fuels is coupled with a relatively low conversion efficiency from fossil fuels to electricity, which averages 35%. The remaining 65% of the energy contained in fuels used is in effect wasted, lost as heat in power plant turbines and generators.

In this context, it is not surprising to learn that electricity generation stands as the top contributor to global Carbon emissions. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), electricity generation currently accounts for approximately 50% of global carbon emissions.

In the Middle East and North Africa region, electricity and heat production are responsible for 41% of total carbon emissions according to IEA data from 2009. And while not representing a consumption sector, electricity generation ranked well higher than any individual sector, including transportation, which comes second and accounts for 25% of the region’s total carbon emissions.  Yet carbon emissions from electricity generation is not equal across the region. In fact, the top 5 contributors to carbon emissions from electricity generation – namely Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, Kuwait, and Iraq – together represent 70% of the region’s electricity generation carbon emissions, according to 2009 data by the IEA, a share that represents approximately 30% of the region’s total carbon emissions.

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