Renewable Energy for Sustainable Development

Abstract

This chapter aims to introduce the reader in general, and project managers in particular, to the basic concepts and applications of renewable energy (RE) with emphasis on the various renewable energy technologies (RTEs), emerging as an alternative to traditional energy sources, in an applied, practical and project-focused context. The chapter builds on academic research-based cases studies conducted by the authors. The first case relates to a real-life project which will be the first advanced biofuels refinery to be built in the Middle Eastb with an estimated cost of $700m and commercial operation date in 2022. The financial close date is scheduled for the end of Q4, 2018, and it is expected to have a lower cost of production compared to European and US refineries. The second case study concerns the feasibility study to build a waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration plant in Dubai. It provides project managers with useful insight into the details of this vital initiation stage for this type of project, based on a real-life data set, in an applied research context. The details of both cases can be found on: https://www.goodfellowpublishers.com/sustprojman. The first few sections of the chapter set up the scene for the case studies by presenting brief definitions of the basic concepts of RE and various RETs in the context of sustainable development. Then at the start of each case study, a brief introduction to the specifics of the case is presented.