Mena’s renewable energy sector has been gaining momentum, Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (Apicorp) said and noted almost 20GW of solar power is expected to be added over the next five years.
In a report Apicorp said as of 2020, the total installed capacity of renewable energy in Mena surpassed 10.6GW, almost double the 2010 capacity of 5.4GW. The increase in renewables is mainly driven by wind power, solar PV, and hydropower.
The Mena ( Middle East and North Africa) region added an estimated 1.5GW of solar power in 2020, with a further 3GW in 2021.
Renewable energy systems have been gaining momentum across Mena, driven by ambitious national targets, technology cost declines, and increasing investments in low-cost and low-carbon technologies.
The national renewable energy targets set for 2030, ranging between 15-50% of electricity generation, portray governments’ will to double down on efforts and increase the share of renewables in the energy mix.
The Apicorp report entitled ‘Leveraging Energy Storage Systems in Mena’ said countries in the region must rapidly scale up and integrate variable renewable energy (VRE) – such as solar PV and onshore wind – into their respective power grids if they are to meet their national renewable energy targets in the medium term.
Scaling up renewables requires the deployment of energy storage solutions (ESS) for firming the power capacity, building flexibility, and ensuring power systems stability.
ESS also plays a critical role in managing intermittencies of VREs and in mitigating potential power supply disruptions while providing ancillary services.
The report lays out ten key policy recommendations to help accelerate the successful integration of energy storage systems into national grids, including guidance on regulatory frameworks, multilateral stakeholder collaboration, and asset ownership across the power value chains.
Renewable energy systems have gained considerable momentum across the Mena region over the past decade, driven by ambitious national renewable energy targets, technology cost declines, and increasing investments in low-cost and low-carbon technologies as part of the energy transition.
The mid- and long-term renewable energy targets for Mena countries – which range from 15% to up to 50% of total electricity generation – show that governments are committed to increasing the share of renewables in the energy mix.
However, because of the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources, ESS – whether electrical, electrochemical (batteries), chemical and thermal – have emerged as the key driver to firming power capacities while providing opportunities for scaling up renewable energy projects into a multi-GW scale.
The pace of integration of ESS in Mena is being driven by three main factors; a technical need associated with the accelerated deployment of renewables, technological advancements driving cost competitiveness of ESS, and policy support and power markets evolution that incentivises investments.
Dr Ahmed Ali Attiga, CEO, Apicorp, said: “The need for energy storage solutions in the Apicorp region is primarily driven by ambitious national renewable energy targets and mounting peak electricity demand as a result of accelerating economic development and diversification of the energy mix. With abundant land and low-cost solar and wind generation capacities, Apicorp countries have real competitive advantages that enable it to take the lead in energy storage and successfully navigate the energy transition.”
In a report Apicorp said as of 2020, the total installed capacity of renewable energy in Mena surpassed 10.6GW, almost double the 2010 capacity of 5.4GW. The increase in renewables is mainly driven by wind power, solar PV, and hydropower.
The Mena ( Middle East and North Africa) region added an estimated 1.5GW of solar power in 2020, with a further 3GW in 2021.
Renewable energy systems have been gaining momentum across Mena, driven by ambitious national targets, technology cost declines, and increasing investments in low-cost and low-carbon technologies.
The national renewable energy targets set for 2030, ranging between 15-50% of electricity generation, portray governments’ will to double down on efforts and increase the share of renewables in the energy mix.
The Apicorp report entitled ‘Leveraging Energy Storage Systems in Mena’ said countries in the region must rapidly scale up and integrate variable renewable energy (VRE) – such as solar PV and onshore wind – into their respective power grids if they are to meet their national renewable energy targets in the medium term.
Scaling up renewables requires the deployment of energy storage solutions (ESS) for firming the power capacity, building flexibility, and ensuring power systems stability.
ESS also plays a critical role in managing intermittencies of VREs and in mitigating potential power supply disruptions while providing ancillary services.
The report lays out ten key policy recommendations to help accelerate the successful integration of energy storage systems into national grids, including guidance on regulatory frameworks, multilateral stakeholder collaboration, and asset ownership across the power value chains.
Renewable energy systems have gained considerable momentum across the Mena region over the past decade, driven by ambitious national renewable energy targets, technology cost declines, and increasing investments in low-cost and low-carbon technologies as part of the energy transition.
The mid- and long-term renewable energy targets for Mena countries – which range from 15% to up to 50% of total electricity generation – show that governments are committed to increasing the share of renewables in the energy mix.
However, because of the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources, ESS – whether electrical, electrochemical (batteries), chemical and thermal – have emerged as the key driver to firming power capacities while providing opportunities for scaling up renewable energy projects into a multi-GW scale.
The pace of integration of ESS in Mena is being driven by three main factors; a technical need associated with the accelerated deployment of renewables, technological advancements driving cost competitiveness of ESS, and policy support and power markets evolution that incentivises investments.
Dr Ahmed Ali Attiga, CEO, Apicorp, said: “The need for energy storage solutions in the Apicorp region is primarily driven by ambitious national renewable energy targets and mounting peak electricity demand as a result of accelerating economic development and diversification of the energy mix. With abundant land and low-cost solar and wind generation capacities, Apicorp countries have real competitive advantages that enable it to take the lead in energy storage and successfully navigate the energy transition.”
