11 January 2016, Brussels — The promotion and the reinforcement of partnership between Algeria and the European Union (EU) in the field of renewable energies and energy efficiency is to be the priority of the new plan of energy cooperation, said experts from Brussels-based European Think Tank “Bruegel.”
“Energy efficiency should be the main target of a new” energy cooperation scheme between Algeria and the EU, especially as the potential of Algeria is huge, which can quickly generate concrete results,” said Simone Tagliapietra and Georg Zachmann, in a contribution published Friday by the journal “the Parliament”.
According to the parties, the second target of a new scheme of cooperation between the two parties should be centred on renewable energy, a field where Algeria possesses huge solar and wind energy resources.
“A study published in 2005 by the German Aerospace Centre said that Algeria has the world’s biggest potential in terms of production of concentrated solar energy,” the exports added.
Indeed, Algeria has exceptional conditions for the production of solar electricity. The annual average of sunshine makes of it a prime site in North Africa. Algeria is betting more and more on renewable energy to complement fossil fuels, and to meet the growing energy needs by around 7% per year to 2020.
As part of its strategy, the Algerian government has committed to produce nearly 40% of solar energy from renewable sources within 2030.
“The cooperation in the field of electricity, energy efficiency and the renewable energies may be beneficial to the EU and Algeria,” they stressed.
At medium term, the exploitation of the renewable energy resources may generate substantial economic advantages for Algeria, notably through substantial savings of natural gas, currently used in the domestic production of electricity to inject additional quantities for export towards Europe, they underlined.
*Algerie Presse Service