Bahrain hosts GCCIA advisory, regulatory committee meeting

Manama, June 30 (BNA): The GCC Interconnection Authority (GCCIA)'s Advisory and Regulatory Committee held its 22nd meeting in Bahrain on June 16 chaired by the Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC)'s General Manager (Manufacturing) Fadhel Al Ansari who is Bahrain’s representative on the Gulf body working on linking electricity grids of GCC countries. The meeting discussed the efficiency of the network and reviewed its budget and future plans for development. Several recommendations were made and these will be forwarded for discussion and adoption at the GCC electricity and water Ministers’ meeting in Doha in September. The GCC power grid will reduce high and long-term investment costs in the construction of generation plants by reducing the level of reserves needed in each of the Member Countries and provide them an alternative source for operating reserves and support during emergencies (blackouts or unforeseen contingencies). The interconnection idea was first conceived in 1981 as a result of economic agreements between the Gulf Cooperation Council States in 1981, after which several committees were formed to administer and implement the power grid. The idea for the project was conceived in 1986 when a study was conducted by a Committee from the GCC Countries in cooperation with the Kuwait Research Institute and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. Subsequently, the GCC Committee recognized the technical benefits of the project and conducted a feasibility update study in 1990 in collaboration with Gulf Investment Bank and Canadian based SNC-Lavalin to determine the viability of the project on an economical and financial perspective, which resulted in the establishment of the GCCIA. On December 31, 2001 the GCC Countries agreed to establish the GCC Interconnection Authority for the purpose of interlinking the power systems of the GCC Countries. Project execution began in November 2005 and ended in early 2009, when operations commenced. The project was segregated into three phases: the first phase which interconnected Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar; the second phase linked UAE and Oman and the third phase connected phase one with phase two. Each Member State has the Presidency of the sessions for a three-year term. Al Ansari represents the current President, Bahrain.