Context
Egypt is in a phase of far-reaching change of its energy sector. Energy demand is increasing rapidly, a high amount of electricity losses and low energy efficiency burdens public as well as private consumers, and the modernisation to a more flexible, reliable electricity system requires new institutional structures.
The increase of energy efficiency (EE) is recognised as a major solution to the challenges of ever rising energy consumption and of supply restrictions. Hence, national policies and action plans are being implemented to promote energy efficiency in all sectors. At the core of the efforts stands the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP), which outlines the institutional, financial and reporting duties.
Renewable Energy (RE) potentials are abundant in Egypt and their use can contribute significantly to national energy supply as well as reduce dependency on fossil fuels. In electricity generation the Egyptian government targets a share of renewable energies of 20% by 2022. Renewable energies reduce energy import risks and improve the country’s carbon footprint. Different financial models foster renewable energy, mainly solar and wind. Currently, Egypt drew around 1,300 megawatts (MW) from renewable energy sources, while another 2,400 MW are currently under development (excluding large hydropower plants).
Egypt has taken more responsibility in the climate regime, by which climate policies have become more important, opening a wide playing field for nation-wide climate protection approaches and projects, which benefit all of Egypt.
Objective
‘The operative framework conditions for the reduction of CO2 intensities in electricity supply and consumption are improved.’
Hereby, the Egyptian government receives support in establishing a sustainable energy supply based on energy efficiency and renewable energy. This generates positive effects on climate protection and on the environment.
Approach
The Egyptian-German Joint Committee on Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Environmental Protection (JCEE) pursues two major tasks.
On the one hand, it functions as a secretary for the High-Level Joint Committee (HLJC), a cross-sectoral policy dialogue in the fields of energy efficiency and renewable energy. The Committee’s members represent a wide diversity of expertise and responsibility in Egypt, e.g.: several ministries, including the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy (MoERE) and subordinated agencies, like: the New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA); the Egyptian Electric Utility and Consumer Protection Regulatory Agency (EgyptERA), selected electricity distribution companies (DISCO), and many more. From the German site five ministries are members to the HLJC: BMZ, AA, BMU, BMWi and BMBF.
On the other hand, JCEE directly operates and implements activities together with its partners in the fields of national EE strategy, RE and EE on distribution level, EE technologies, sustainable energy and climate protection as well as on utility-scale RE. Herein, JCEE particularly aims to strengthen the partner and member institutions via a multi-layered approach. At the individual level, the employees’ technical, planning and management skills are further developed through strategic capacity development measures. At the meso-level, the project supports through targeted procedural, organisational and technical consultation. Hereby, participatory event formats and open discussions are established to improve the successful cooperation between the individual actors. Last but not least, on the macro-level JCEE provides comprehensive policy advice to the implementation of national strategies in the respective sector. The activities target the establishment of easily scalable pilot measures and are streamlined with awareness-raising as well as educational initiatives to increase the overall acceptance of climate-friendly measures.
Results
JCEE is paving the way for a sustainable energy infrastructure in Egypt, while helping to cope with global challenges, such as the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. High energy efficiency leads to a reduction of electricity bills and environmental burden, while the renewable energy sector can create a large number of secure jobs. National programs to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy are essential tools to achieve these targets. JCEE provides necessary support, representing the fruitful Egyptian-German development cooperation. Among the planned activities of the project count e.g.:
- Development of financing mechanisms for energy efficiency and support in the management of national energy efficiency funds;
- Implementation of energy audits for companies in a selected industrial sub-sector;
- Support to the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company in improved grid management and dispatching of increasing shares of RE, including smart grid elements;
- Training in climate finance and support for the development of bankable climate finance projects for selected mitigation actions in the energy sector;
- Consultation to selected distribution companies for the implementation of grid planning software as well as for the application of smart grid technology in distribution networks.