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Lebanon shares in preparing a Euro-Mediterranean Solar Plan
Developing Projects for Electricity Generation and Upgrading the Connection Grids
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THIS ARTICLE
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Date Published:
24 September 2009
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Published in:
Al-Mostaqbal Daily
Lebanon
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Reporter(s):
Raed El Khateeb
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Original Language:
Arabic
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 View Original
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There is no doubt about it that Lebanon does not only need new projects in the field of energy, but the matter calls for rationalizing Lebanon's consumption and developing projects for the production of alternative and renewable energies. This especially applies in the light of aggravating conditions of electricity that are prevalent in Lebanon. In this regard there is a need for huge funding, especially for the plan to currently increase production of 1000 megawatt at the minimum which is needed to cover the growing energy demand. The severe rationalization during the summer of 2009 has lead to a production shortage, that brought the thousands of tourists swarming into Lebanon to complain against. The municipalities of summer resorts and tourism sought the use of private electricity generators to cover their needs.
Yet it has been established that the necessary funding requires a prior according political effort to ascertain the route to be taken by the sector. A number of solutions have been proposed in this concern, among them those promoting partnership with the private sector, establishing laboratories, importing huge electric generators, using natural gas to generate electricity, in addition to discussing alternative and renewable energies, which is widely promoted by the Energy Rationalization Center in Lebanon.
Though Lebanon is not a pioneer in this field, yet it is active as part of a Euro-Mediterranean synergy, especially in connection with the Mediterranean Solar Plan. A report published by the Energy Preservation Center in Lebanon has pointed out that "The Mediterranean Basin and the EU (European Union) as a whole will be facing enormous energy and climate challenges in the following decades. The demand for energy will sky-rocket, while the prices of fossil fuel will continue to rise, probably in a fluctuating and increasing manner. To deal with those challenges and to become able to face them, it is imperative for the EU countries and the member states of the Barcelona Process -which was launched 1995- to intensify their efforts for developing adequate policies of energy efficiency and provision, renewable energies and reducing emissions of green house gases. This lies in the frame of the future international agreement -the post Kyoto Protocol- which will be decided end of 2009 in Copenhagen.
The EU has become the driving force seeking the development of an international policy for climate protection. It has set its own ambitious goals incorporated in the new agreement for energy and climate in terms of procedure policies ".
The report notes the launching of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) by the presidents of states and governments of the Euro-Mediterranean countries during the Paris Summit held on the 13th of July 2008. This is a new pattern of cooperation between two Mediterranean coasts, it is a new partnership that aims at fostering development, combating climate change and strengthening the ties between all EU countries, thus building on the practical experience of the Barcelona Process and integrating its previous policies. The "Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean" will focus its attention on concrete projects and their results. At present, France and Egypt are co-chairing the Union for the Mediterranean.
Mediterranean Solar Plan (MSP)
The Mediterranean Solar Plan (MSP) stands out among the major proposed projects, that basically aim at creating a future of sustainable energy in the Mediterranean region. It is a region with enormous potentials in the field of renewable energies, yet still neither exploited nor subject of investment, while being a field that can greatly contribute to the sustainable development in the region. It is indeed opportune for all stakeholders to cooperate since the benefits of the necessary investments can be fairly divided between all parties.
To achieve this objective, the MSP will embark on increasing the use of solar energy and other sources of renewable energies for the purpose of generating electricity, improving energy efficiency, providing energy, upgrading the connecting electricity network, fostering the process of transferring experiences and technology, and promoting the developing countries, aiming at consolidated skills in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency.
The MSP comprises two parts dealing with the following two main fields: firstly generating electricity from sources of renewable energy and electricity transfer -in which frame the plan promotes working and moving forward in this field- and secondly the focus on additional activities in the fields of energy efficiency and its provision, and the transfer of know-how and technology.
Furthermore, the MSP has set two additional objectives: developing 20 gigawatt of power to produce renewable energy and to succeed in saving energy in the Mediterranean Basin by the year 2020, accordingly to go over to dealing with both topics of distribution and demand. The MSP aims at providing huge amounts of energy compared to work volumes in terms of an ordinary scenario which would accord with the recommendation of the Mediterranean Association for National Energy Centers (MEDENER) and in close cooperation with main partners. To this, the plan will promote activities in the field of know-how and technology transfer, with the aim to support projects in the field of generating photovoltaic energy from renewable energies, transfer of electricity and energy efficiency.
Following the preparatory phase that has aimed at setting the objectives (2008-2009) the first phase –which stretches over a period of two years 2009 and 2010- will enable the launching of the first MSP project in different countries and setting basic procedures for developing, organizing and financing the projects according to the MSP. The initial projects should be linked to renewable energy and energy efficiency, develop financial mechanisms, incentives and capacity building processes. During the distribution phase, between the years 2011 and 2020, the plan will be developed on a larger scale based on the acquired experience of the initial basic phase.
Action Plan for Producing Renewable Energies
The Action Plan is to enable the production of renewable energy by setting a first group of projects to be launched in the years 2009 and 2010, in addition to the projects proposed by the Mediterranean partners, which would be viable as priority projects. Developing the above mentioned projects will create the base for drawing the legal frame and testing it (the licenses, the permits, the tariffs, etc.) and the developing funding mechanisms. This will enable outlining a sustainable frame for the import and export of green electricity from and to the EU. It is a phase that will especially secure the adaptation of funding mechanisms and their development. At present, the above mentioned has been discussed in particular with the World Bank, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the bilateral development banks.
The above mentioned phase should primarily include industry, utilities, operating transfer systems, potential investors, funding institutions and public sector. The long term MSP will stretch across the years 2011 through 2020 and particularly aims at reaching a production value of 20 gigawatt.
Starting as of the year 2009, a guiding plan will be subject to a study that should design clear steps to be followed in each of the MSP's fields, in particular pertaining to the establishment laboratories for thermal and photovoltaic solar energy, and upgrading the production capacities of other renewable energies in the Mediterranean Basin. It should furthermore deal with issues of exporting electricity to the EU in parallel with covering the local consumption, e.g. to be used for the desalination of sea water. The study should also build on the cooperation between the respective departments in all member states of the Union for the Mediterranean, the respective utilities in the EU, the industry, the utilities, the systems operators for electrical current transfer, the potential financers, the institutions, and the funding agencies (the multi-lateral, the bi-lateral, the public and the private). Results have developed in the basic phase and studies too, existing and the ongoing studies, in particular the study entitled "Identification of the Mediterranean Solar Plan" undertaken by the Mediterranean Solar Commission.
Lebanon and the Mediterranean Plan
It has been imperative for Lebanon to create its own role as an outrider, a pioneer and an avant-garde, which creates the opportunity for upgrading the performance dealing with both axes of energy efficiency and renewable energies. It is the dire need for both, that stands out among the strategic solutions for energy problems, especially in the light of the limited available production capacities and the necessity to import the major part of its needs in terms of oil derivatives (presently 98%). Lebanon's pioneer efforts would ensure investments in its stocks of oil and gas at a later stage. The initial studies do certainly present optimistic figures.
The Ministry of Energy and Water supports cooperation frameworks and the development of constructive partnership that would invest in available opportunities. The Ministry has dealt with the Mediterranean project with great earnestness and positivity. Fadi Qomein, the general manager for water resources and electricity has been appointed as national coordinator of the Project pertaining to the Mediterranean Solar Plan.
Accordingly, the Lebanese Center for Energy Preservation that is run by the UNDP and implemented by the Ministry of Energy and Water has prepared and organized the first conference of its kind in Lebanon and in the Arab neighboring area. During the conference, the Ministry had organized several technical presentations on the correct attitudes for dealing with the Mediterranean Plan on a national level. The experts of the Lebanese Center for Energy Preservation have proposed objective technical criteria that were adopted as national criteria to be adhered to by all parties submitting pilot projects. The Beirut Declaration incorporates the conference resolutions and recommendations, as a result of which a national coordination committee has been formed and headed by the national coordinator. The Lebanese Center for Energy Preservation forms its secretariat, while the committee members are representatives of the national university and the prime universities, three NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) that work in the field of energy and environment, representatives of the relevant ministries and public departments, foremost those pertaining to energy and environment, and the Lebanon Electricity Authority. A further member is the representative of the UNDP in Lebanon.
The a.m. committee studies the projects submitted by all parties according to the said criteria. The 15th of September has been set as deadline for submitting the before mentioned projects, after which the committee will embark on selecting the most suitable project(s) tailored to the domestic needs and the Ministry's relevant plan. It is noteworthy, that the beginning of the upcoming October is the deadline for all countries to submit their projects to the Mediterranean Plan.
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