As I begin my remarks at this very timely House of Representatives conference on the energy transition with a focus on storage and hydrogen technologies, I would like to apologize, first of all, for not being able to be with you today due to an unavoidable obligation. I send to all participants my warmest wishes for the best of the New Year, with health above all and personal and family happiness.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As we all realize, climate change is one of the biggest problems at the global level, which has made urgent the need for coordinated and decisive action, not only in our country, but also in the Eastern Mediterranean region in general and internationally.
As we all realize, climate change is one of the biggest problems at the global level, which has made urgent the need for coordinated and decisive action, not only in our country, but also in the Eastern Mediterranean region and internationally.
I consider it appropriate to note at this point the initiative taken by Cyprus for the preparation of an integrated Action Plan on Climate Change in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. I also underline our readiness to promote, through the Cyprus Presidency of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum in 2022, policies and actions that will help our region become a pioneer in the green energy transition.
In this context, it is indeed a very useful initiative to organize today's conference in the Parliament, and I particularly congratulate my friend President Dr. Kyriakos Hatzigiannis and the members of the Parliamentary Energy Committee, as well as all those who worked for this purpose. The conference, with its themes and the contributions of the experts and officials participating in it, contributes to the structured public debate that we have launched for the transition of our country to the green and circular economy and sustainable development.
At the Ministry of Energy we will await your codified conclusions with great interest, taking them seriously into account in the revision we are already undertaking of our National Plan for Energy and Climate 2030.
At the Ministry of Energy we will await your codified conclusions with great interest, taking them seriously into account in the revision we are already undertaking of our National Plan for Energy and Climate 2030.
At the Ministry of Energy we will await your codified conclusions with great interest, taking them seriously into account in the revision we are already undertaking of our National Plan for Energy and Climate 2030.
In particular, in cooperation with the relevant Ministries, academic institutions and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), we are proceeding in 2022 with the setting of much more ambitious targets for 2030, in line with the Commission's "Fit for 55" strategy, but also aiming for climate neutrality by 2050. With the contribution of renewables to final energy consumption reaching 17% in 2020 - our national target, I recall, was 13% - we are now stepping up efforts for our energy transition, with our National Plan based on the following six policy pillars. [*]Second axis, the operation of the competitive internal electricity market in October 2022, as well as the internal gas market. [*]Third axis, the strengthening of the role of consumers in the energy market and the reduction of energy costs for households and businesses. [*]Fourth axis, providing incentives to encourage private initiative in terms of investments to be made by households and businesses towards a green and circular economy, and promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in the public and wider public sector. [*]Fifth axis, the promotion and implementation of major reforms and new legislation. [*] The sixth pillar of our strategy, which is the most relevant to the theme of this conference, concerns investment in research, green technological solutions and green infrastructure projects. We consider particularly beneficial, in this context, investment in the digitalisation of the energy sector, as well as in energy storage systems and hydrogen. [/LIST]
The specificity of Cyprus' electricity network, which remains isolated from the rest of Europe and the wider Eastern Mediterranean region, makes the need for storage infrastructure absolutely essential, since this will ensure both the stability of the network and the achievement of our commitments under the European Green Agreement.
As shown by the studies carried out within the framework of the National Plan for Energy and Climate, the use of storage systems, combined with the implementation of our electricity interconnection with Israel and Greece, can lead to a penetration of RES in our energy mix of more than 50% by 2030. Among other things, energy storage will increase self-consumption, improve the forecasting of RES producers, reduce electricity cuts and lighten the load on grid substations.
It is for these reasons that the Ministry of Energy is proceeding with the preparation of Grant Plans for the installation of energy storage systems, both centralized and in combination with RES projects. With the first calls for the Plans scheduled for 2022, we have submitted a request to secure €40 million under the Fair Transition Fund, with a possible increase to €80 million.
Our Plans are already before the European Commission for approval, while the necessary formulation, by RAEK, of the new regulatory framework for centralised storage systems has been preceded by the necessary formulation of the new regulatory framework for centralised storage systems.
Dear Sirs,
On 8 July 2020, the European Commission published the Hydrogen Strategy, which sets out how clean hydrogen can become a sustainable solution for decarbonising different sectors, contributing to the ambitious goals of the European Green Deal for a climate-neutral Europe.
The Strategy consists of three phases, with a time horizon up to 2050. Specifically, the first phase covers the period 2020 to 2024, the second from 2025 to 2030 and the third from 2030 to 2050. Depending on each phase, specific targets for the installation of electrolytic cells of renewable hydrogen are foreseen, as well as relative production volumes.
Having therefore also in Cyprus started to examine the possibility of integrating hydrogen into our energy mix, and given the specificities of our country, we support within the EU as much flexibility as possible in the design of the future European hydrogen market.
In order to achieve our objectives, it was decided in August 2021 to set up a Technical Committee on Hydrogen, involving all relevant competent authorities and stakeholders. The Technical Committee is part of the structure of the Development Strategy Governance System in relation to the European Green Deal and will study and assess, among other things, the potential for domestic hydrogen production, the various technologies available and its uses in areas such as transport and energy storage. The Commission is also responsible for preparing the legislative and regulatory framework for the operation of the hydrogen market, which will, for example, concern. [*]Compliance with common infrastructure construction standards. [*]Safety issues. [*]Taxation of hydrogen as a fuel, and [*]Common legal terminology for the different types of hydrogen, as well as international standards for certification and verification of its origin. [/LIST]
Within 2022, our Ministry's Energy Service will proceed with the preparation of a National Hydrogen Strategy, in cooperation with all stakeholders through the Technical Committee, but also, of course, with technical assistance from qualified consultants. Indicative of the work that needs to be done is the finding that, based on the prevailing conditions in the energy sector in Cyprus, the actors involved in the natural gas market, such as the Distribution and Transmission System Operators, should be able to operate in the hydrogen market.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
By implementing a multi-dimensional energy strategy, the Government expects significant developments in many of the major issues of the energy sector in the near future. Undoubtedly, however, research and innovation have an important role to play in our efforts to address climate change.
In this direction, let me briefly mention, and close with this, some of the remarkable research programmes currently operating in our country.
- SREC programme.
- BUS-FUEL-SAVING project: it involves the integration of innovative, green technologies in existing public transport buses, with the aim of saving between 5% and 30% in fuel.
- ELECTRA Project: This concerns improving the efficiency of Cypriot research and innovation through research activities in the field of electricity and infrastructure and the development of renewable energy sources. The programme mainly aims at the development of large-scale photovoltaic systems and their integration into the electricity system.
- EMPOWER Programme.
Thank you all for your attention and I wish you every success in the proceedings of your remarkable conference.
(GA)
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