A Cleaner and Safer Future for Yemen

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

March 07, 2007

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Press conference held onboard the Rainbow warrior in Aden- Yemen. Speakers from the left is Captin Olivier Lauzon, Eng Rami Al Shaibani from the Yemeni Ministry of Electricity, Omer Elnaiem Greenpeace Communications officer and Paul Horsman, Peaceful Energy Campaign Coordinator.

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Aden, Yemen — At a press conference on board the Greenpeace flagship the Rainbow Warrior today, Greenpeace welcomed the announcement by the government of Yemen of the country’s first wind farm, a 10MW station at Al Mokha in the Governate of Taiz, and developing a national strategy for the expansion of renewable energy. The international environmental organisation expressed concern, however, over parallel plans for the development of nuclear power in the country.

Greenpeace International Peaceful Energy Campaigner, Paul Horsman, said: “The Government of Yemen has shown leadership in the Middle East with its plans for expanding the use the countries abundant renewable energy resources. We are however concerned by the recent announcement of plans to develop nuclear power in Yemen.”

Last month Greenpeace released a report entitled “Energy Revolution – A Pathway to a Sustainable and Clean Energy Future for the Middle East” showing how a combination of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency and decentralised energy could transform the regions energy sector. The report highlighted the many benefits form the region including: increased energy security; reduced future energy prices; accelerate development; reduce carbon emissions. At the same time it would free the region from the threats posed by the spread of nuclear technology. This would allow renewables to contribute some 50% of global primary energy including the Middle East production by 2050.

The Rainbow Warrior is in Aden as part of a tour to highlight the need for a Nuclear Free Middle East -- a region free of both civil and military nuclear technology -- and to open a debate on how Yemen could contribute to that.

Eng Rami Al Shaibani, of the Renewable Energy Department in the Ministry of Electricity said; “Sustainable development of rural areas is a priority for us. Seventy percent of the population in Yemen have no access to basic energy services, and the development of a National Strategy for of renewables that’s implemented through an institutional framework would help deliver basic energy services to them.”

Globally over 1.6 billion people have no access to basic energy services. Renewable energy is the cheapest option for delivering these services and is a key to achieving sustainable development through tackling the twin issues of poverty alleviation and environmental protection.

Horsman concluded: "Smart use, not abstinence, is the basic philosophy for future energy supplies. When tied to the right policies that encourage renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency programmes, it is the key to a Yemen’s energy future and will bring economic prosperity, accelerated development and help increase the region’s security through reducing dependence on fossil fuels and nuclear power."