Utilities

In 2015 Saudi Arabia will have generated twice as much electricity as it did in 2000 as demand in the Kingdom continues to expand. Energy-intensive industries, as well as highly subsidised utilities prices for customers, look set to push demand even higher in the coming years, and the government is increasingly looking to boost private sector participation in the sector. Numerous initiatives are under way that aim to manage demand and promote energy-efficient practices, particularly in construction, where there has been a focus on implementing cleaner and more efficient technologies. Meanwhile, advances in cogeneration technologies have boosted production at the country’s two largest cogeneration facilities, at Jubail and Shuaibah – advances which have saved power while boosting the Kingdom’s overall desalination capacities. This chapter contains an interview with Jean-Pascal Tricoire, CEO, Schneider Electric.