Filenews 16 January 2023
The share of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) in Cyprus in the period 2015 – 2021 increased at a higher rate than the average growth rate across the European Union, said the Director General of the Ministry of Energy Marios Panayides.
In his intervention at the 13th General Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), held in Abu Dhabi between 13 and 15 January, Mr. Panayides mentioned in particular that Cyprus based on the latest data has increased the share of RES from 2015 to 2021 by 5.2%, a performance that is higher than the average growth across the European Union, which was 3.7%.
According to an announcement by the Ministry of Energy, Mr. Panayides stressed the importance of energy infrastructure for RES for Cyprus, while he welcomed the initiatives of the Organization in which Cyprus also participates, with emphasis on the initiative for Long-Term Energy Planning (LTS).
During the General Assembly, various topics were presented, in which Cyprus also participated, such as the restructuring of the electricity system for the energy transition and the avoidance of the next electricity price crisis.
The delegation of the Republic of Cyprus consisted of Mr. Panayides, the Ambassador of Cyprus to the United Arab Emirates and Permanent Representative to IRENA Yiannis Michaelides and the competent officer of the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry, George Partasidis.
Cyprus also participated in the official inauguration ceremony of the United Nations and IRENA initiative, with the aim of increasing the penetration of Renewable Energy Sources in the facilities of UN peacekeeping missions internationally.
In his intervention, Marios Panayides referred, among other things, to the actions and licensing facilities offered by the Republic of Cyprus, through the new legislation for One Stop Shop with the aim of accelerating the licensing of Renewable Energy Sources installations.
At the above meeting, UNFICYP representative Jeol Cohen thanked the Republic of Cyprus for its support, stating that UNFICYP has already installed 600 kW in Cyprus for the needs of its mission and that it intends to proceed with investments aimed at meeting the needs of the power by 80% from renewable energy sources.
In parallel with the above, Cyprus had the opportunity to participate in bilateral meetings with the Secretariat of the Organization, with representatives of the United Nations and UNFICYP, where the next steps of the cooperation were discussed. Cyprus' suggestion to organize a joint conference next autumn was accepted by both IRENA and the United Nations.
Cyprus was also invited by the Federal Government of Germany to participate in a meeting on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)-Europe High Level Exchange Initiative, which had been set up during a conference held in Jordan in June 2022.
Cyprus was also elected member of the Credentials Committee of the General Assembly and an alternative member of the Board of the Organization for the years 2023-2024.
