Renewable Energy Storage Dilemma

The Reality of Renewable Energy Storage

The Director General of the Electricity Research Institute, Arshad Mansour, confirmed in an interview with The Future of Energy – Arabia that the renewable energy storage dilemma is a reality now, but it will become more serious with increased production of these energies.

Challenges with Current Storage Technologies

Mansour said it takes 16 to 24 hours for storage, which exceeds the energy capacity of “lithium ions” used in today’s storage technologies.

Solution: Recycling Plants for Metals and Batteries

Mansour suggested that the Gulf countries, which may not have the minerals needed for the renewable energy industry, set up recycling plants for metals, batteries, and their components to create huge global recycling centers.

Gulf Countries as Processing Centers

“I see the future of the Gulf countries in becoming a center for the processing of lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements. This is a unique opportunity offered by the new energy system, and it is not available in a fuel-dependent system because after burning, you cannot return the fuel,” said Mansour.

Recovering Lithium from Expired Batteries

He pointed out that it is possible, for example, to recover up to 90% of the lithium used in the production of expired batteries.

Impact on Electricity Prices

He continued: “If you look at electricity prices in the Gulf today and compare them to electricity prices after the energy transition events, how do they compare? Our analysis shows that it depends on how the transition occurs, but we can see an increase in the cost of electricity from 20 to 30 percent.”

Cheaper Energy Bills in the Future

“If we make the right energy transition, the energy bill for the average consumer in the Gulf, which includes gasoline, electricity, and gas, these three bills combined will be cheaper in 2050 compared to their total cost today.”