Kuwait City, Kuwait; 2 June 2013 - Fuelled by a population boom and economic development, the growth of energy consumption in the Middle East is prompting many Gulf states to seriously implement energy efficiency initiatives.

Some countries which have launched national energy efficiency programmes include the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through its Saudi Energy Efficiency Centre (SEEC) which focuses on reducing power through audits, load management, regulation and education. The United Arab Emirates also launched its National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Programme, which seeks to promote efficient utilisation of energy in the residential sector.

Kuwait is likewise pursuing energy efficiency programmes. The Ministry of Electricity & Water and Kuwait National Petroleum Company are supporting the Kuwait Energy & Efficiency Conference to start mapping a national energy efficiency strategy. Organised by MEED, Kuwait Energy and Efficiency begins today at the Hilton Kuwait Resort.

The newly-appointed Kuwait Petroleum Corporation's CEO, Nizar Al-Adsani will deliver the opening keynote addresses of the conference and will speak about Improving energy efficiency in the oil and gas sector.

In Delivering on the Energy Efficiency Promise in the Middle East, a report prepared by leading global management consulting firm Oliver Wyman, it said that energy consumption in the Middle East has grown so fast that "Continued projected consumption growth of 3 percent per annum and the level of investments that will be required are likely to lead to an even wider gap between supply and demand."

The report further said, "Growing energy consumption in the Middle East threatens to sap the region's competitiveness and economic growth. Even a moderate adoption, however, of measures used elsewhere in the world to increase energy efficiency could significantly reduce investment needs for energy infrastructure, slow the pace of energy consumption growth, free up oil for export and help mitigate pollution and the region's carbon footprint."

Bakheet Shabib Bakheet Al-Rashidi, the Managing Director of KPI, and former Deputy Chairman and Deputy Managing Director, Planning & Local Marketing, KNPC, who is one of the keynote speakers at the conference, said: "KNPC is main sponsor of this conference and as you know KNPC is the refining arm of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation with a total capacity of 930 000 BPD. KNPC owns and operates the Kuwaiti three refineries, LPG plant, and network of domestic petrol filling stations. In that sense KNPC is the sole supplier of energy to the Kuwait market and power plants."

Eng. Fadhel Al Kazemi, CEO, Tekneen District Cooling and Utilities, will speak on district cooling and how it provides qualitative and economic benefits for buildings and residences. "Mother Earth is facing many challenges with respect to energy, water, food and other environmental issue. District cooling helps provide better comfort, better reliability, and maximised convenience while improving the efficiency of energy distribution and utilisation.  The economic benefits can be experienced by states, owners and tenants, where the capital costs of HVAC equipment, internal power distribution, annual maintenance and power consumption are reduced without harming the efficiency of the Cooling system within the buildings."

The highlights of the conference include keynote addresses by Ministry of Electricity & Water, KPC, KNPC, KOC, KGBC and the Environmental Public Authority on the development and implementation of Kuwait's energy efficiency policies, as well as on measures that will be implemented to balance sustainable economic growth with environmental targets.

Kuwait Energy & Efficiency 2013 features a comprehensive agenda of presentations, panel discussions and workshops involving energy experts from around the region. It has been made possible by the involvement of MEW and KNPC as Supporting Partners, Tekneen District Cooling Company as Silver Sponsor, GDF Suez as Lunch Sponsor, as well as ABB and Focus Consultancy Services as Workshop Leaders. Alghanim International/RosRoca are participating in the event as exhibitor. For details on the agenda and how to register, please visit www.kuwaitenergyefficiency.com.

-Ends-

About Kuwait Energy & Efficiency 2013
Kuwait Energy & Efficiency is the only conference to address the need for sustainable energy solutions in Kuwait and will be the first and only forum where policymakers come together with industry leaders to begin the process of mapping an energy efficiency plan for the country.

For media inquiries and assistance, please contact:
Anthon Garcia
PR Consultant,
Kuwait Energy & Efficiency Conference 2013
M: +97150.1398661
E: anthongarcia@yahoo.com

© Press Release 2013