MENA grows renewables by half but clings to risky hydrogen and gas

A September 2023 briefing by Global Energy Monitor analyzing the renewable energy transition in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It highlights a significant increase in operational and prospective solar and wind capacity, while noting a heavy reliance on fossil fuels for electricity and a strategic pivot toward high-risk green hydrogen exports over domestic decarbonization.

• The MENA region increased its operational large utility-scale solar and wind capacity by 57% since May 2022, adding 6.9 GW. An additional 9 GW of renewable energy is under construction and expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
• Prospective utility-scale solar and wind capacity in the region grew by 400% year-over-year since 2022, increasing by 292 GW to a total of 361 GW. However, 60% of this prospective capacity is designated for green hydrogen production or direct export, which the report notes carries higher risk and does not contribute to local electricity decarbonization.
• Oil and gas power plants continue to dominate the region's electricity supply, providing over 90% of electricity. The region hosts over 343 GW of operating oil and gas power plant capacity, and planned gas power plant capacity increased by 38% compared to the previous year, reaching 92 GW.
• To fully replace existing oil and gas power plants, the MENA region would need approximately 500 GW of additional solar and wind capacity. To achieve a fully decarbonized electricity sector by 2050, the region would need to add 19 GW of wind and solar every year.
• There is a significant disparity between green hydrogen export ambitions and domestic energy needs in some countries. In Mauritania, 50 GW of green hydrogen projects have been announced, while only 34 MW of prospective capacity is for domestic use. Similarly, Djibouti has a proposed 10 GW green hydrogen facility compared to only 126 MW of electrical capacity for the country.
• Sovereign wealth funds from the UAE and Saudi Arabia, through Masdar and ACWA Power, are investing heavily in renewables abroad. They are involved in at least 46 GW of prospective utility-scale solar and wind projects across 21 countries in the Global South, which is three times their domestic investment of 14 GW.

APA

O’Malia, K., Abdallah, N., Macuga, J., Prasad, S., Stylianou, N., & Behrsin, I. (2023). MENA grows renewables by half but clings to risky hydrogen and gas. Global Energy Monitor. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/MENA-grows-renewables-by-half-GEM_11.pdf

Chicago

O’Malia, Kasandra, Nagwa Abdallah, Julie Macuga, Shradhey Prasad, Nassos Stylianou, and Ingrid Behrsin. MENA grows renewables by half but clings to risky hydrogen and gas. Global Energy Monitor, 2023. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/MENA-grows-renewables-by-half-GEM_11.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{omalia2023mena, author = {O’Malia, Kasandra and Abdallah, Nagwa and Macuga, Julie and Prasad, Shradhey and Stylianou, Nassos and Behrsin, Ingrid}, title = {{MENA grows renewables by half but clings to risky hydrogen and gas}}, institution = {Global Energy Monitor}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/MENA-grows-renewables-by-half-GEM_11.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }