Bahrain is to set up a wind energy plant to produce electricity soon, said the Oil and Gas Affairs Minister and National Oil and Gas Authority chairman Dr Abdulhussein Mirza.

Dr Mirza said a Japanese company had just concluded tests on wind velocity in Bahrain and would submit the evaluation results soon.

'Depending on these, we shall know what kind of plant we will set up,' the minister told the GDN.

He was speaking after a lecture organised by the Bahrain Historical and Archeological Society.

'American company Petrosolar has also been engaged to explore the solar energy available in Bahrain,' he said.

Bapco chief executive Faisal Al Mahroos said Bahrain's first fuel station selling low sulphur diesel for private vehicles is now being set up in Hamad Town.

The minister had earlier said Bahrain was set to build two new 'hybrid' power plants for solar and wind energy at a cost of around $8 million.

He said the two plants, to be initially set up on an experimental basis, would each produce five megawatts of energy.

Dr Mirza said a deal with Russian gas giant Gazprom was in the final stages of negotiation.

'After my visit to Russia in October, we have had a follow-up visit by a Bahraini delegation last week to that country. They have carried the negotiations further and these would be finalised soon.'

He said a deal with Gazprom to engage in Bahrain's gas sector was in the best interest of both Bahrain and Russia.-TradeArabia News Service