The report estimates that investments worth $145.7 billion will be needed for power generation from 2013.
Of which, investments worth $63.1 billion will be in the GCC, $21.4 billion in Iran and approximately $53 billion in the combined other countries of the region.
Global demand for renewable energy continued to rise during 2011 and 2012, supplying an estimated 19 percent of global final energy consumption in 2011 (the latest year for which data are available), with a little less than half from traditional biomass.
Useful heat energy from modern renewable sources accounted for an estimated 4.1 percent of total final energy use; hydropower made up about 3.7 percent; and an estimated 1.9 percent was provided by power from wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass, and by biofuels.
Total renewable power capacity worldwide exceeded 1,470 GW in 2012, up about 8.5 percent from 2011. Hydropower rose 3 percent to an estimated 990 GW, while other renewables grew 21.5 percent to exceed 480 GW. Globally, wind power accounted for about
39 percent of renewable power capacity added in 2012, followed by hydropower and solar PV, each accounting for approximately 26 percent.
By the end of 2012, global bio-power capacity was approaching 83 GW, up 12 percent over 2011, with notable increases in some of the BRICS countries.37 Around 350 TWh of electricity was generated worldwide in 2012, a 5 percent increase over the previous year.
Averaging national bio-power generation outputs over
the period 2010-12, the United States had a substantial lead, with Germany second, followed closely by Brazil and China, both of which are gaining ground rapidly.
The main types of commercial bio-power systems are medium- to large-scale direct-fired (similar to most coal- and gas-fired power plants), co-fired, gasifiers, and smaller-scale, modular systems. Together, they produce around 1.4 percent of the world’s electricity generation (compared with coal at 41 percent).
Almost 90 percent of biopower is generated with solid biomass fuels.
Landfill gas, biogas, synthesis gas (also known as syngas), and liquid biofuels are also commonly used for bio-power generation and make up the remaining 10 percent.
With the regional renewable energy sector also continuing to accelerate, governments and experts will gather to debate industry developments, strategy and innovation at the second edition of the Power + Water Leaders Forum in Abu Dhabi, to be held on Sept. 23 at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).
The dedicated conference runs alongside the Power + Water Middle East exhibition, which takes place from 23-25 September, and will provide an ideal platform for experts to discuss sustainable best practices and innovative solutions across two of the region’s bourgeoning sectors.
A notable line-up of speakers will feature at the one-day forum, including Engineer Khaldon Khashman, Secretary General, Arab Countries Water Utilities Association (ACWUA), and Robin Mills, Head of Consulting at Manaar Energy Consulting.
Experts from the Saudi Electricity Company, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), Oman Authority for Electricity Regulation and Regulatory Supervision Bureau will be among the first group of panelists, in the morning of the one-day conference to discuss best practice to improve efficiency in power and water programs.
They will be joined later by Dr Michael Kraemer, Senior Associate at Taylor Wessing, Board Member and Legal Counsel for the Emirates Solar Industry Association, who will deliver a presentation about renewable energy, underlining clear policies and standards to drive investments into solar power projects.

Also speaking will be Dr Said Al Sheikh, Senior Vice President and Group chief economist at the National Commercial Bank, who will spotlight Saudi Arabia’s role as a leader and pioneer in regional renewable energy projects, highlighting new opportunities for the private sector.
Commenting on the rise of MENA renewable energy sector, Anita Mathews, Director of Informa Energy Group, organizers of Power + Water Middle East, said: “The development of the region’s renewable energy sector has seen a sharp interest from investors with regional investments set at $2.9 billion in 2012.”
“One of the key themes of the Power + Water Leaders Forum is renewable energy, and the growth of the sector in the MENA region is likely to continue over the next two decades, with over 100 projects currently under development.”
Held in strategic partnership with the Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (ADWEA), Power + Water Middle East brings together developers, manufacturers, buyers and service providers from a range of sectors in power and water to meet, discuss and invest in the current products and technologies in the related industries.
The exhibition has so far attracted more than 100 exhibitors from 25 countries wishing to network and offer solutions to regional power generation, water and nuclear energy industries.
Power + Water Middle East is run in partnership with Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (ADWEA) and is supported by the Society of Engineers – UAE and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), who will be organizing a government supported national pavilion at the event.

He said total water consumption in the Kingdom crossed eight million cubic meters for the first time.
“This is equal to nearly 800,000 10-ton water tank trucks,” he said while emphasizing the need to rationalize consumption of water.
Al-Hussayen said about 60 percent of the Kingdom’s water supply comes from desalination plants on its Red Sea and Arabian Gulf coasts while the rest comes from underground water wells.
“All regions have reported record consumption of water,” the minister said.
Jeddah’s consumption is more than 1.2 million cubic meters per day, which translates to per capita use of more than 300 liters per day.
Al-Hussayen said his ministry has launched a nationwide campaign to reduce water consumption by 30 percent through free distribution of devices that would help reduce consumption.
He also stressed the importance of preserving the country’s underground water resources.
Saudi Arabia has been producing desalinated water since 1927, with output jumping from 300,000 cubic meters per day to more than five million cubic meters.
The Kingdom is the world leader in this field, producing almost 20 percent of global production.

The forecast expansion, which includes Jordan, will require loans and export credits, said Vahid Fotuhi, president of the Dubai-based Emirates Solar Industry Association.
Governments across the Middle East and North Africa consider sun and wind energy as crucial for meeting the needs of growing populations and economies, with Saudi Arabia leading the way.
Saudi Arabia plans to invest more than $100 billion to generate about 41,000 megawatts from solar energy, or a third of its total power output, by 2032. That compares with about 16 megawatts of solar capacity today, a level that places the kingdom behind Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and the UAE, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
Abu Dhabi National Energy, a conventional energy-producer known as Taqa, raised about $4 billion in loans this year and in 2012. The $2.5 billion in revolving credits it arranged in December include a three-year credit priced at 75 basis points more than the London interbank offered rate, and a five-year component priced at 100 basis points more than the Libor benchmark, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
Abengoa Solar, a partner in an Abu Dhabi sun-power plant, borrowed $142 million at 175 basis points more than Libor, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Costs are even higher for First Solar Inc. (FSLR), the largest US solar manufacturer and builder of Dubai’s first solar electricity plant, which arranged a $431 million secured letter of credit at 225 basis points more than Libor, data gathered by Bloomberg show.
Oil producers want to develop renewables to conserve more crude for export, while countries relying on imported fuel see local green power as a cheaper alternative. State support for utilities and a growth in regional power demand of about 5 percent a year mean companies such as Abu Dhabi National Energy Co. (TAQA) can borrow at rates that are 100 basis points, or 1 percentage point, lower than Spain’s Abengoa Solar SA.
Lenders may hesitate to continue funding the massive expansion as commercial banks seek to limit exposure to renewables projects, said Steve Mercieca, the Dubai-based chief executive officer of the Clean Energy Business Council. Governments should encourage the availability of Islamic bonds (sukuk) to help finance solar facilities under construction, he said.

“The Saudi market already has an attractive framework for building and funding traditional power plants, and liquidity is ample in local banks,” Mercieca said. “Appetite is going to be substantial” for the funding of such projects, he said.
“If you see a rising population and rising energy demand, that really helps the risk profile,” Amol Shitole, a credit analyst with SJS Markets Ltd. in Bangalore, India, said. Projects that can pair local companies with international power-plant developers already known to lenders will have “strong support from banks,” he added.
Renewables investment in the Middle East and North Africa rose 40 percent last year to $2.9 billion, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

Scarce fresh water supply is the biggest challenge for Gulf Arab desert countries, forcing them to build energy-intensive seawater desalination plants to meet rising demand.

Saudi Arabia is building the world’s largest desalination plant in Ras al-Khair on the Gulf coast, but the GCC is increasingly concerned that the waters of the Gulf may become undrinkable if there are any leaks from energy installations into the water lying between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.

“The water link is to build a line from the Arabian Sea or Gulf of Oman to Kuwait passing through the GCC countries,” GCC assistant economic secretary Abdullah J. al-Shibli said.

“With the Iranian nuclear plant in Bushehr, if something goes wrong the water in the Gulf will be polluted.”

Arab Gulf countries sought reassurances from Iran at a U.N. nuclear agency meeting last month over the safety of Bushehr, built on the earthquake-prone coast of Iran.

The Gulf is also home to dozens of offshore oil rigs and loading facilities which could pose a threat to drinkable water supplies in the event of a large leak like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

“This is a vital and strategic project to provide water under all circumstances… for the water security, the idea is to build desalination plants in all the countries, to produce the water,” Shibli said.

The project, which Shibli said may cost around $7 billion, will include storage facilities to stock up on potable water.