The Gulf Cooperation Council’s grid operator is studying the feasibility of a cable to Ethiopia, which would run through currently war-torn Yemen.
The Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Agency (GCCIA) is studying the feasibility of a cable – which would pass through currently warn-torn Yemen – as part of efforts to reduce reliance on oil and gas for power generation. Connections with Africa and Europe, as well as homegrown renewable energy projects, will help to save petroleum for export, GCCIA chief executive Ahmed Ali Al-Ebrahim told Climate Home News.
“We are rich in energy, we are dependent on fossil fuels, on gas and oil in the GCC countries,” he said. “But we cannot continue to rely on oil and gas for our energy production because it is also one of our main income sources. “There is a general approach to diversify our power resources. That is why we are looking at renewable energy, nuclear energy and even hydropower in this case.”
A high-level delegation from Saudi Arabia visited the construction site of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in 2016. In May, Ethiopia’s new prime minister Abiy Ahmed made Riyadh his first calling point after African neighbours Sudan, Kenya and Djibouti. With a capacity of 6.45 gigawatts, Ethiopia’s mega-project is set to be the largest hydropower dam in Africa. Building could be completed as soon as 2019. The reservoir will take another 5-15 years to fill.
The cable being explored would pass under the Red Sea and through Yemen to connect the resource to Saudi Arabia, said Al-Ebrahim. Riyadh and its allies in the GCC are involved in the war in Yemen, having killed thousands of civilians in air strikes, according to the UN. “At the GCC we believe this conflict will end eventually, it is just a matter of time,” said Al-Ebrahim. “When the conflict finishes then there will be a big need for electric power in Yemen and beyond… We are hoping that by that time we will be ready with our plans and designs for this project.” The feasibility assessment will take around two years, he added. The GCCIA is also considering electricity interconnectors with Jordan, Egypt and Iraq, and through them Turkey and Cyprus or Greece.
Ethiopia’s hydropower is attractive because it could balance intermittent generation from solar plants and stabilise the grid, Al-Ebrahim explained. Meanwhile a link to Europe could switch between import and export according to seasonal demand. The Ethiopian megadam is politically sensitive, with Egypt in particular raising concerns about the impact on river flows down the Nile. Its chief engineer Simegnew Bekele was shot dead in July, prompting scenes of public mourning.
Researchers have warned that many dams under construction in eastern and southern Africa are at risk of disruption from drought, as climate change makes rainfall more variable.
[This article originally appeared on climatechangenews.com.]
Jair Bolsonaro, Brasil’s current de facto presidential frontrunner, says he would withdraw Brazil from the Paris Agreement if he wins the October election. The withdrawal of such an important developing country, home to the world’s largest rainforest, would deal a blow to international climate cooperation. Bolsorano’s opposition to the international pact has drawn criticism from the UN’s environment chief.
Until now, no one had seriously doubted that relations between the US and Europe, for all the difficulties and conflicts they have gone through, would continue safe and sound. Since Trump was elected as US President however, the atmosphere has changed. The re-nationalisation of the world order has gained speed and is making clear how far advanced global interdependencies have become. With global multilateralism in crisis, climate diplomacy could act as a new driving force.
There are only a few weeks to go before international and local leaders from states, regions, cities, businesses, investors and civil society travel to the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco to create a new wave of mobilization. As Earth is at risk of entering a situation of extreme conditions, those going must bring along more than just flowers in their hair.
The surge in the frequency and intensity of climate change impacts has raised the alarm about how this could hamper coastal activities. Several critical ports in the Indo-Pacific region are hubs of international trade and commerce and at the same time vulnerable to typhoons, taller waves and erosion. India’s climate diplomacy at the regional level could activate climate-resilient pathways for port development and management.