2015-12-31-IRENA-Investment_Opportunities_in_the_GCC_Global_Atlas_22页_1mb

Investment Opportunities in GCC Through Renewable Energy Suitability Maps

This report, produced by IRENA, presents a continent-wide pre-feasibility assessment of solar and wind energy investment options in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. It introduces an innovative opportunity-based method using GIS technology to evaluate land suitability for grid-connected and off-grid projects by considering factors like resource availability, distance to grids, and population density.

Key dimensions include wind speed, solar irradiation, grid distance, slope, land cover, protected areas, and altitude. These are combined into suitability maps with high detail (1 km resolution), available for download through the IRENA Global Atlas, enabling users to identify promising locations.

Results highlight that applying this method to distances within 75 km from the grid shows substantial technical potential: up to 65 GW for grid-connected wind, 34 GW for off-grid wind, 505 GW for grid-connected solar PV, and 277 GW for off-grid solar PV, summing to about 887 GW across the region.

The approach differs from traditional exclusion-based methods by using continuous scores, providing more nuanced insights and aiding policy-making, investment decisions, and market prospecting. Limited spatial resolution and specific exclusion rules are noted, with full analysis supporting better local engagement for refined plans.