Advancements and Challenges Affecting Wind Turbine Implementation in the GCC Countries

Abstract

GCC countries have recently started to take the renewable energy way, contrary to their most important possession of non-renewable energy. Sustainable, green and smart buildings are the main topics that governments are interested in. In this respect, the growing populations and growth in the urbanization in these nations have increased the demand for energy. Integrating renewable energy sources is a challenge that has to be overcome to achieve the pronounced energy targets for each country in the region. Wind technology deployment in this region had to fight for legitimacy among more fully established alternatives. It has come into practice as the technology itself has been developed to operate efficiently in low wind speed areas. In spite of these technological breakthroughs and modest improvement but challenges to achieve, cost-effectiveness in the more moderate wind speed regimes located closer to large load centres still exist, while avoiding transmission congestion points as much as possible. Many attempts to install these systems have been successful. Hurdles still hold back the deployment of more wind systems across many promising locations in the GCC. Wind technology has faced many barriers such as cost, siting, transmission and market entry. However, many of those disappeared as the cost is coming down over the years. Public awareness in the GCC region has improved which encouraged investors to start installing these systems. This paper discusses the feasibility of the anticipated improvements in technology that will be seen in the next decade, which could make it more attractive to all investors at the region and placed recommendations for efficient systems that could bring into service windfarms able to meet the energy target for those countries.