Ahmed Al-Balawi

  • Primary Program Utilities & Renewables
  • Research Interests Renewable Energy, Power System Modeling, Energy Storage and Emerging Technologies

Biography

Ahmed is a fellow in the Utilities and Renewables program at KAPSARC. He is an electrical engineer and holds an M.Sc. degree in renewable energy systems from Loughborough University. Prior to joining KAPSARC he worked as an R&D engineer at the Saudi Electricity Company for over five years, heading the company’s research on renewables and energy storage, and working on a wide range of projects including solar power, EV charging, sorption cooling, and energy storage solutions.

Ahmed’s current research focuses on power system modeling to help shape the future of the energy mix and the technologies that can contribute to achieving Saudi Arabia’s green targets.

Publications

See all Ahmed’s publications
  • Book/book chapter
  • Discussion papers
  • Data Insights
  • Commentaries
  • KAPSARC journal article
Revitalizing Relationships for the Clean Energy Souk

Revitalizing Relationships for the Clean Energy Souk

The GCC countries have been trading for millennia, and energy transition offers new opportunities to revitalize existing trade relationships and form new partnerships driving growth through innovation. Read More Here

18th April 2024
Assessment of the Potential of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines in the Red Sea

Assessment of the Potential of Floating Offshore Wind Turbines in the Red Sea

Floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs) have recently gained traction and are being installed in several regions of Europe and Asia. These turbines use the same technology as typical offshore wind turbines but are not directly anchored to the seabed. Instead, they are tethered with mooring lines and can float in the water within a predefined range of movement. This feature could enable development opportunities in areas with a water depth greater than 60 meters (i.e., the limit of current seabed-anchored offshore wind turbines). One of the main obstacles in developing offshore wind turbines in the Red Sea is the water depth, which is greater than 60 meters. Hence, FOWTs are a viable option.

5th May 2024
The Crisis in Electricity Prices in Europe: Context and Key Insights

The Crisis in Electricity Prices in Europe: Context and Key Insights

The cost of electric power in Europe is soaring. After a steady rise in 2021, prices spiked in the first half of 2022 following the post-COVID-19 economic recovery. Day-ahead wholesale electricity prices increased more than threefold on average in 2021 compared to 2020, reaching an average of €194 per megawatthour (MWh) in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2021. The daily standard deviation of day-ahead electricity prices more than doubled on average in 2021 compared to 2020. At the start of July 2022, electricity prices were heading toward their 2021 peak. They are expected to reach new highs based on current market dynamics. Here, we discuss the drivers and implications of current European electricity prices.  

17th January 2023
Status of Global Concentrated Solar Power Installations

Status of Global Concentrated Solar Power Installations

Concentrated solar power (CSP) is a type of renewable energy that uses mirrors to concentrate solar irradiation onto a receiver and convert it into heat. The heat can then be used directly or indirectly for thermal or electrical applications. CSP technologies store energy, which makes them a flexible and dispatchable source of renewable energy. This is why there is a growing trend of co-deploying CSP with PV as hybrid renewable energy projects. Despite the high potential of and announced targets for CSP technology, the actual number of installations is still low compared with photovoltaic (PV) and wind power.

7th December 2022
Reliability Implications of Unexpected Tripping of Inverter-Based Resources

Reliability Implications of Unexpected Tripping of Inverter-Based Resources

A recent KAPSARC Instant Insight examined the reliability crisis in electric power grids, and proposed policy measures that can mitigate these risks (Felder 2022). The specific causes for these severe outages and blackouts differ, but the causes of greatest concern are those that result in multiple failures of grid facilities. In 2022, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) examined the increasing risks to the grids in the United States (U.S.), in particular hazards to the North American bulk power system (BPS). NERC highlighted a special concern related to the increased deployment of inverter-based resources: the unexpected tripping of solar PV resources that could incapacitate large amounts of generation, resulting in reliability challenges. This issue is particularly important to Saudi Arabia as it pursues the deployment of widespread, large-scale solar power plants.

10th October 2022
Recent Developments and Trends in Cybersecurity in the Power Sector

Recent Developments and Trends in Cybersecurity in the Power Sector

The power sector is a crucial component of critical national infrastructure, and its continuous and resilient operation underpins the socioeconomic prosperity of any nation. Energy security is a priority in many regions of the world, as it is essential for economic growth and prosperity.

26th October 2023
Can Hybrid Solar Projects Pave the Way for Concentrated Solar Power Development?

Can Hybrid Solar Projects Pave the Way for Concentrated Solar Power Development?

Hybrid renewable energy systems combine two or more technologies that complement each other to generate clean and stable power output. These systems could be two renewable energy systems (e.g., solar and wind) or renewables with storage (e.g., with battery or thermal storage). Their advantage is that they offer flexibility, dispatchability, and baseload power. Hybrid systems, especially the combination of concentrated solar power and photovoltaic systems (CSP-PV), have been investigated for many years in attempts to address the challenges that the electricity system faces regarding the high penetration of renewables.

12th June 2023

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