Al-Naimi slams biofuels, favours solar energy

Saudi Arabia’s oil minister on Thursday slammed biofuels, saying they did not protect the environment or help supply security, but added solar power had to be considered one of the best clean energy sources.

‘Let’s be realistic, ethanol and biofuels will not contribute to the protection of the global environment by reducing (carbon dioxide) emissions, they will not increase energy security, nor will they reduce dependency on fossil fuels to any appreciable degree,’ Ali Al-Naimi told an oil conference.


‘Biofuels are not the solution,’ he added.

The rise in biofuel use was largely due to government subsidies, high import taxes and financial favouristism vis-a vis others, he added.

‘That’s why we have to look beyond biofuels… and concentrate instead on truly renewable sources of energy,’ he said, adding that solar power was perhaps the best clean energy source available in all parts of the world.

‘It is abundant, clean and available to all,’ he said.

Trade Arabia