Why are the oil-rich countries of the Persian Gulf region announcing ambitious plans for renewable energy when the fossil fuels they produce are so cheap? It’s all about water. “Increasing renewables generation can substantially reduce water withdrawal,” said Adnan Amin, director-general of the International Renewable Energy Agency, which is based in Abu Dhabi. “Water is a very expensive commodity in this part of the world and extensively used in the energy sector. Commercial use of renewables can greatly reduce this.” Source: IRENA The energy production industry is the second-largest consumer of water in the world after agriculture, according to Xylem Inc., which makes equipment for the water industry. It estimates that some processes in OPEC nations such as secondary oil recovery use about 30 times more of the liquid to extract their crude than producers outside the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. The Middle East has some of the […]