- Egypt Renewable Energy Conference to be held next week in Cairo will seek to advance renewables development in the country.
- The conference will feature the release of IRENA’s Egypt Renewable Energy Outlook report, a comprehensive assessment of Egypt’s full renewable energy potential.
- Egypt possesses tremendous resource potential, sustainable energy can be the backbone of its long-term energy planning.
Egypt’s Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy and the New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) together with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) will co-organise the country’s first high-level renewable energy conference in the Egyptian capital, Cairo next week.
The three-day Egypt Renewable Energy Conference will seek to advance renewables development in the country and will feature the release of IRENA’s Egypt Renewable Energy Outlook report, a comprehensive assessment of Egypt’s full renewable energy potential.
According to IRENA, Egypt aims to source 20% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2022, rising to 42% by 2035 as it works to meet rising demand for power. Total installed capacity currently stands at around 3.9 gigawatts, much of which is from hydropower.
“Our Integrated Sustainable Energy Strategy 2035 supports the development of a diversified, competitive and balanced economy within the framework of sustainable development,” said H.E. Dr Mohamed Shaker, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy.
“With renewable energy at the heart of this strategy, IRENA’s role in identifying our potential and advising on the practical steps required to succeed is key. The Renewable Energy Conference greatly supports this process and we look forward to bringing the investment and policy community together in Cairo to support our national efforts to establish Egypt as a regional hub for clean energy,” he concluded.
The conference will convene investors and national policymakers from Egypt and across the Middle East and North Africa region to advance energy transformation across Egypt as it pursues short and medium-term targets, and capitalise on falling technology costs. IRENA Director-General Adnan Z. Amin will present the report’s key findings in the presence of ministers and high-level guests.
“Egypt has established its renewable energy ambition and this commitment is evidenced by the progress made on world-class projects such as the Benban Solar Park in Aswan, which will be one of the world’s largest solar parks once complete,” said Adnan Z. Amin.
“In a country such as Egypt, which possesses tremendous resource potential, sustainable energy can be the backbone of its long-term energy planning.
“By strengthening the enabling environment for renewable energy investment and development, Egypt can increase the speed of its energy transformation, bringing wider economic benefits to the country such as job creation, health improvements and energy security,” concluded Amin.
Author: Ashley Theron
This article was originally published on ESI Africa and is republished with permission with minor editorial changes. Link to original
