Tripoli, 28 February 2013:
Libya could generate some five times more energy from solar power than it currently produces in crude oil, according to research by the UK’s Nottingham Trent University.
Libya’s long hours of strong sunlight throughout much of the year means that the country could generate enough renewable power to meet and exceed its own energy demands. Excess could then be exported to the world market.
“If Libya could harness only a tiny fraction of the renewable energy resources it has available in the form of solar and wind power,” said Ahmed Mohamed, a Libyan PhD student at the university who worked on the project, “not only could it meet its own demands for energy, but also a significant part of the world’s demands by exporting electricity.”
Libya has an average daily solar radiation rate of some 7.1 kilowatt hours per square metre per day on a flat part of the coast. This climbs to 8.1 in the south of the country.
The study showed that if Libya used just 0.1 percent of its landmass to harness solar power, it could produce the energy equivalent to seven million barrels of crude oil.
Amin Al-Habaibeh, who is leading the research, said: “Although Libya is rich in renewable energy resources, it is in urgent need of a more comprehensive energy strategy.” He said it was difficult to break away from the dependency on oil and its revenues.
“Renewable energy technology is still in its early days in Libya and a clear strategy and timetable is needed to take it forward,” Al-Habaibeh said, “in particular, work needs to be done to develop the skills and knowledge needed to install and maintain renewable energy systems.”
Hafez Abdo, who supervised the research, said that it also explored whether the benefits would outstrip the costs of implementing such a project. He also said the study could be applied to other countries: “The final results should be a stepping stone for other studies to find a sufficient solution to energy security and climate change in the world.”
The research also showed that Libya has the potential to generate significant amounts of wind power, especially along the coast. “Wind energy could play an important future role in meeting the total electric energy demand,” said Mohamed. [/restrict]
