Minister to patronise sustainable energy conference

Manama, Apr. 18 (BNA): The University of Bahrain will host the Water and Sustainable Energy Innovation and Industry Conference and Exhibition on Sunday and Monday under the patronage of Electricity and Water Affairs Minister Dr. Abdulhussain Mirza. The event is supported by the British Council and the Sustainable Energy Unit. The minister will deliver the keynote speech at the opening ceremony, where he will speak about strategic steps taken by the government on water issues, the unified water strategy and renewable energy projects for comprehensive sustainable development. "Issues of water, food and energy are among those of most concern globally," University of Bahrain President Prof. Riyad Hamzah said. "We have concluded agreements and memorandums of understanding with major British universities to conduct participatory research to come up with appropriate scientific solutions." He said the university is a home of expertise in many fields and has proved its ability to find innovative and integrated solutions to many issues in more than one sector. "This encourages us to develop the capacity of our professors by interacting with advanced research experiences." The conference aims to support Bahrain's drive to diversify its energy sources by exploiting renewable energy, conserving natural resources and identifying the most important challenges and opportunities in the energy and water industry. More than 200 participants from the GCC, Britain, Australia and Egypt will present scientific papers during the event. Results of joint research between the University of Bahrain and the British universities organizing the conference will also be reviewed. Several government agencies concerned with energy, including the Electricity and Water Authority, the Ministry of Commerce, the Sustainable Energy Unit and representatives of the private sector will attend. The university, in cooperation with the British Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology, is working on providing renewable energy laboratories at the university, which will contribute effectively to the development of the renewable energy sector in Bahrain.