IRENA Director-General Meets with Egypt President el-Sisi to Discuss Renewable Energy Deployment
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Press Release
Tigrai Online, Ethiopian News, Dec. 15, 2016
Adnan Z. Amin, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) toks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Cairo, Egypt, 15 December 2016 — Adnan Z. Amin, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) met today with H.E. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, President of Egypt, in Cairo. They discussed opportunities for accelerated renewable energy deployment in Egypt as well as cooperation between Egypt and the Agency. Egypt currently holds the presidency of the IRENA Assembly.
“Egypt has a vast potential of largely untapped renewable energy resources” said Mr. Amin.“More importantly, its leadership is committed to scaling-up renewables to meet growing energy demand and a broad range of sustainable development challenges, and has taken concrete steps and initiatives in this direction,” he added.
President el-Sisi praised IRENA’s growing role in promoting the widespread use of renewables as the world seeks to transition to a sustainable energy future. “We look forward to strengthening cooperation with IRENA to accelerate renewable energy deployment, not only in Egypt but also in Africa, through initiatives such as the Africa Clean Energy Corridor and the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative,” he added.
Egypt aims to supply 20% of its generated electricity from renewable sources by 2022, installing 3.5 gigawatts (GW) of solar by 2027 and 7.2 GW of wind by 2020. To achieve these objectives, Egypt has several mechanisms in place, including a feed-in tariff system for solar PV and wind projects of less than 50 megawatts (MW), and a competitive bidding scheme for build-own-operate contracts.
These support schemes have yielded successful results in large-scale renewable energy generation, specifically with auctions achieving attractive prices, such as the 250-MW Gulf of El-Zeyt Wind Farm, which is producing power for just USD 0.04 per kilowatt-hour.
“With the right mix of policy support and private sector investment, Egypt can both power its growing economy with clean, affordable renewable energy, and also create an environment for a flourishing domestic renewable energy industry, particularly in the wind and solar sectors,” said Mr. Amin.
During his visit to Cairo, the Director-General also met with H.E. Mr. Mohamed Shaker El-Markabi, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, and H.E. Mr. Sameh Shoukry, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Egypt has been a Member of IRENA since July 2012 and has engaged with the Agency on several major initiatives including Renewables Readiness Assessment and REmap studies; the African Clean Energy Corridor and the Pan-Arab Clean Energy initiative. Egypt is also a member of the Global Geothermal Alliance.
About the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
IRENA is mandated to be the global hub for renewable energy cooperation and information exchange by 150 Members (149 States and the European Union). Roughly 27 additional countries are in the accession process and actively engaged. IRENA promotes the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy, in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, energy security and low-carbon economic growth and prosperity. www.irena.org
Contact information:
Timothy Hurst, Chief Communications Officer, IRENA, thurst@irena.org
Ends
TOL's Analysis about the above press release in relation to Ethiopia and the HOA
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This News Press Release was sent to Tigrai Online this morning December, 15, 2016 from International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). It is an ordinary press release from an international agency with one very significant issue. The one important issue we can learn from this press release as far as Ethiopia is concerned is, Egypt has opened its eyes to the reality in the ground. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is about to be completed soon and there is nothing Egypt or its puppet Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea can do about it.
Ethiopia is not playing games it is planning to integrate the Horn of Africa through economic, power, highway, and security ties. North Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, Somali Land, and Djibouti are actively working with Ethiopia knowing their long term best interest is directly or indirectly connected with Ethiopia. The only country who is left out is Eritrea. Eritrean leaders are gambling with future of the Eritrean people by pitting them against their own brothers and sisters in Ethiopia. At this advantageous and booming economic time in Ethiopia, the Eritrean people should have been front and center trading and doing business with Ethiopians. Given the blood, historical, cultural, religious, linguistic, and other re relationship Eritreans have with Ethiopians, they should have been given unrestricted access to the vast Ethiopian market, but due to the twisted and arrogant leadership in Eritrea they are on a war footing with Ethiopia.
The Egyptians are smart people and they know what they are doing. Egypt might try everything under the sky to sabotage Ethiopian progress, but at the end of the day they don’t want to risk more than they need to so. That is they are considering different alternatives now to produce electric energy because the Aswan High Dam may be slightly affected by the GERD. We know Eritrea followed Egypt when Egypt abandoned the Saudi led GCC but does Eritrea have a long term strategy for itself? Egypt seems it has a plan how to move ahead, even with the completion of the GERED it looks like Egypt has no choice but to work with Ethiopia to minimize further damage in its relationship with Ethiopia. Then, we can safely conclude Egypt has no need to ally itself with Eritrea to the point of working militarily against Ethiopia. Obviously Ethiopia is maneuvering to make itself a very strong nation in the Horn of Africa and no power on earth will stop that. Please take a look at the following facts about EPRDF's achieviment in power generation since it took power.
In EPRDF time less than 25 years
Completed and under construction hydro electric power projects in Ethiopia now compared with previous two Ethiopian governments.
Gilgel Gibe I, 180 MW, 2004, Gilgel Gibe River, $331 million,
Tekezé, 300 MW, 2009, Tekeze $365 million
Beles, 460 MW, 2010, Lake Tana (Blue Nile), for Irrigation of 140,000 ha
Gilgel Gibe II, 420 MW, 2010, Omo River Euro 370 million
Gilgel Gibe III, 1,870 MW, 2015, Omo River, Euro 1.55 billion
Fincha Amerti Nesse (FAN), 100 MW, 2012, Fincha (Blue Nile), $276 million
Halele Worabese, 440 MW, 2014, Omo River, Euro 470 million,
Gilgel Gibe IV, 2,000 MW, 2015, Omo River, $1.9 billion,
Chemoga Yeda, 278 MW, 2013, tributary of the Blue Nile, near Debre Markos, $555 million,
Tendaho Irrigation Dam, 2014, Awash River, for irrigation and drinking water
Genale Dawa III, 2009 256 MW, cost $408 million
Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, 6000 MW, 2018, Blue Nile River bEuro 4.8 billion
Koysha hydro Dam 2016, 2,200 MW, Gibe River Euro 2.5 billion
Most of the above dams are completed, but some are nearly finessed and others are still under construction. Ethiopia will produce about 14,500 MW of electric power when the remaining under construction dam projects are completed. All the above hydro dam projects under 25 years.
Other projects included in the 25-year Master Plan of the national power utility EEPCO:
Tekeze II 450 MW,
Genale Dawa IV 256 MW,
Border 800 - 1200 MW, located on the Blue Nile.
Mendaia 2400 - 2800 MW, located on the Blue Nile.
Bekoabo 2100 MW, located on the Blue Nile.
Karadobi 1600 MW; prefeasibility study is completed; the dam will be located on the Blue Nile
If you are wondering here is what Ethiopia had before EPRDF
From the time of Hailesilassie to Mengistu Hailemariam
Koka 42 MW 1960 Awash River
Awash II 36 MW 1966 Awash River
Awash III 36 MW 1971 Awash River
Fincha 134 MW 1973 Fincha (Blue Nile)
Total of 248 MW in almost sixty years
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