APS : Tuesday, 23 February 2016
ALGIERS-President of the Republic Abdelaziz Bouteflika reaffirmed Monday the State’s commitment to continuing the implementation of the National renewable energy development program by setting it as a “national priority.”
President Bouteflika, who chaired a Council of Ministers meeting devoted to the national policy in the field of gas, gave instructions to continue and boost the program adopted at the Council of Ministers in May 2015, stressing this program must be considered as a national priority.
During the council, President Bouteflika highlighted, in this regard, the fact that “the development of renewable energies can permanently extend the energy independence of our country and also generate a dynamic of economic growth in its wake.”
The national updatedprogram of renewable energy development adopted by the Council of Ministers on 24 May 2015, forecasts production in 2030 of 22,000 MW from renewable source of electricity, including solar and wind, for the domestic market,plus an additional 10,000 MW to export.
By 2030, photovoltaic and wind energy will be developed at a large scale, supported, in the medium term, by a production of solar thermal energy, as well as the integration of cogeneration, biomass and geothermal energy, according to official forecasts.
Besides, this program will help save up nearly 300 billion m3 of gas over the period 2021-2030. This quantity will be exported and will generate significant additional revenues.
DZD 120 billion must be provided to achieve this goal.
In addition,up to 300,000 direct and indirect job positions could be expected to be generated part of the implementation of this program.
In this regard, the Head of State ordered “to continue efforts to rationalize the national energy consumption in general, including natural gas, through the consumption of electricity.”
The National program of the development of energy efficiency is expected to generate USD 42 billion profit by 2030 by reducing the energy consumptionby 9%.
Moreover, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika ordered to continue and intensify prospecting for natural gas while keeping to schedules for the improvement of the production capacity of gas fields that are under exploitation.
