Highlights

The countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) boasts 57% of the world’s proven oil reserves (World Bank), in addition to other resource-rich characteristics, such as their unique endowment with solar resources. However, and this is especially true in countries where oil and gas resources are large, they also generally face high energy intensity in energy use, which coupled with inefficiency in using their supplies can lead to increased burden on government finance and a higher susceptibility to climate change impact.

It is concerning this governing issue of energy efficiency that 20 experts representing relevant institutions from the MENA region and beyond (including Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar and Tunisia,) gathered at the CMI in Marseille on September 23^rd 2014.

The main purpose of this expert meeting was to discuss the preliminary findings of a study currently being finalized by the Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE)  titled “Delivery Mechanisms and Institutions to Realize Energy Efficiency Potential ” for the MENA region and to agree on the methodology and data sources. Commissioned by the World Bank in May 2014, the study assesses 17 MENA countries in terms of domestic prices of energy products; energy demand and supply, while taking into consideration the specificities of each country. The study will also provide an analysis of shortcomings in the national (or regional) energy systems and policies.

The expert meeting allowed RCREEE to share the study’s purpose and methodology with representatives of many institutions (AFD, ALCOR, CEFEB, CMI, ENCPC, GIZ, IPEMED, KAHRA MAA, MEDENER, Ministry of Trade, Industry and SMEs - Egypt, Plan Bleu, UNDP, UN ESCWA, USAID). The meeting also allowed participants to identify the following issues in unlocking energy efficiency potential:

1. The sectors (Industry, Tertiary, Residential, Agriculture and Fishing etc.) to be prioritized when designing delivery mechanisms in their respective countries. These decisions were based on estimated energy demand projections for 2020 and 2025.

2. The considerations (socio-economic benefits, energy security etc.) accompanying this selection of priority sectors, as well as the challenges which lie before unlocking the potential in these selected sectors.

Some challenges can be turned into opportunities: Take, for example, the challenge of reliance on fossil fuel resources and sustainability issues, coupled with fiscal issues. This can increase governments’ openness toward (i) prioritizing higher energy security and energy sector sustainability; (ii) tackling energy subsidies and (iii) exploiting energy efficiency opportunities on both the supply- and demand-sides. These structural changes, in turn, make way for larger economic benefits.

Participants were also able to present their governments’ and institutions’ regional and national projects:

• GIZ-led regional project RE-Activate, serves as a bridge, linking activities of like-minded actors (and within GIZ projects) providing additional know-how with regards to these inter-linkages and interdependencies, and their job-creating potential.
• AFD’s strategic prioritization of renewable energies and energy efficiency allowed 15 million MWh of energy to be saved each year over the period between 2007 and 2012.  Over €1.3 billion have been mobilized by AFD in favor of energy efficiency-related projects over the same period. Technical assistance and training are key components of AFD’s intervention packages in EE, currently in the form of credit lines for delivery to SMEs and industries. The CEFEB, the training center and corporate university of AFD, marked its intention and availability for developing training programs on selected topics as identified during the workshop.
• A study conducted by MEDENER, an ADEME-supported network of energy agencies from the North and South Mediterranean, was presented by IPEMED, on the Mediterranean “market, job creation potential and training needs”. Qatar’s Tarsheed (National Programme for Conservation and Energy Efficiency) shared challenges facing the national initiative: a lack of sectorial data in energy (among other sectors) which then translates to strong constraints in preparing coherent and reliable energy efficiency indicators (when presented as specific energy consumption ratios and results) and in turn offer obstacles in convincing policymakers to take action. Qatar therefore now stands among MENA countries conducting bulk customer demand-side management surveys (in the industrial, residential and commercial sectors). The reliability of the country’s technical potential for energy efficiency therefore relies on its energy efficiency indicators, as well as benchmarks used in the region.

The CMI platform provided a knowledge-sharing opportunity for the countries present, which were able to share respective best practices and priorities for the sectors being considered for their energy efficiency potential. The dialogue also called for added focus and follow-up on strategic dialogue in capacity building and research to support the ongoing (and desired) changes in the energy sector strategies across MENA.

The study is expected to be finalized in December of this year.