The Saudi agricultural sector relies on diesel for irrigation, which is provided to farmers at a much lower price than the average global price, implying significant opportunity costs. With the aid of soft-coupled power and macro-econometric models, we assess the cost and macroeconomic implications of electrifying irrigation activities in the Saudi agricultural sector. Three electrification scenarios are considered: electrifying each individual farm with a dedicated hybrid renewable micro-grid, electrifying the entire farm cluster with central generation and connecting the entire cluster via transmission to the national grid. Compared with the base-case, connecting the farm cluster to the national grid is found to be the most economical but the least environmentally friendly. The renewable and central generation scenarios are costlier (compared with the transmission scenario) due, respectively, to the high battery costs and gas infrastructure needed.
Executive Director- Utilities & Renewables
Dr. Elshurafa is the Executive Director of the Utilities and Renewables Department and possesses 20+ years of experience garnered on…
Dr. Elshurafa is the Executive Director of the Utilities and Renewables Department and possesses 20+ years of experience garnered on three continents. His research interests lie in renewable energy policy, electricity market design and regulation, and power systems modeling. He has led and executed several national modeling initiatives at distributed and utility scales. Some aspects of his research have been adopted by BP in their seminal annual Statistical Review. He is listed among the top 2% scientists globally as per Stanford, and he is a board member of the Saudi Water and Electricity Regulatory Authority. Credited with 50+ papers and patents, he holds a Ph.D. in Engineering and an MBA in Finance.
Expertise
- Renewable Energy Policy
- Electricity Market Design and Regulation
- Power Sector Modeling
Publications See all Amro Elshurafa’s publications
Strategic Priorities and Cost Considerations for Decarbonizing Electricity Generation Using CCS and Nuclear Energy
The Saudi agricultural sector relies on diesel for irrigation, which is provided to farmers at…
26th August 2024Strategic Priorities and Cost Considerations for Decarbonizing Electricity Generation Using CCS and Nuclear Energy
The Saudi agricultural sector relies on diesel for irrigation, which is provided to farmers at…
25th August 2024