Develop an action program to address the challenges

Ramallah - "Jerusalem" dot com - The General Assembly of the Federation of Renewable Energy Industries announced the election of the new Board of Directors for the Federation headed by Eng. Anan Anabtawi, during the Federation's Board of Directors meeting in March of this year, and Eng. Fathi Sheikh Khalil was also elected as Vice-Chairman And Eng. Nashat Othman as Secretary, and Eng. Muhammad Al-Khazendar as Treasurer, in addition to the election of Eng. Osama Amr, Eng. Abdul Rahman Hijawi, Mr. Abdul Hakim Al-Shani, Mr. Sa’ed Abu Salim and Mr. Mansour Mansour as members of the Board.

The elected Board of Directors announced the development of an action program for the federation during the coming period, which will focus on dealing with three pivotal issues and files with the aim of addressing the challenges faced by renewable energy companies, and what this requires in terms of forming specialized committees from members of the General Authority and the Board of Directors to follow up on these issues with the concerned authorities. .

The files presented in the work program cover the file of legislation, laws and agreements, including energy purchase agreements and network connection agreements with the authorities authorized to manage and use the network, and to secure financial payments to investors in renewable energy projects and guarantee them by an accredited government agency according to what is stated in accordance with the law in the sovereign guarantee clause. This is in addition to protecting the rights of renewable energy companies from any impact resulting from amendments that may occur to applicable laws and from arbitrary or permanent severance and termination of agreements. This file also includes negotiations and legislation related to tariffs, as well as the network code file approved for solar power plants in the network connection agreements.

The work program also includes the technical file and technical designs, as it focuses on the issue of the absence of an approved code for the network, which allows energy distributors to unilaterally make technical decisions and approve designs without referring to an approved standard and scientific reference, and the consequent approval of customers and developers on the requirements and conditions of distribution companies. Electricity to complete projects quickly and without ensuring implementation according to an approved technical reference, and the inability of independent engineers to audit standards and conditions in the absence of reference. This is in addition to the ambiguity of points of view regarding the classification of the technology used and its quality, in addition to the old procedures followed for issuing certificates and approvals by the Palestinian Standards and Metrology Institution on the technology used, which hinders the implementation of projects.

The third file deals with the obstacles faced by renewable energy companies in terms of obtaining information transparently, as electricity distribution companies have the sole right to approve the sites of new projects without adopting the reference of the law or referring to the concerned government agencies in light of the lack of information and maps that show the status of these sites. And the possibility of investing in them, in addition to the difficulty of accessing technical information about networks.

This file also includes the scarcity of accurate and updated information on lands, especially the areas that are still under settlement procedures and those classified as Area C, in addition to the impossibility of implementing research and development projects in light of the lack of accurate information about the current infrastructure and networks.

The work program proposed by the Board of Directors comes at a sensitive and important stage, according to the clarification of the President of the Union, Eng. Anan Anabtawi, especially in light of the warnings facing citizens, institutions and the government to cut off electricity from the Israeli side, which calls for expediting the treatment of issues that hinder the implementation of solar and renewable energy projects. Pointing out that the files of the work program were agreed upon based on the many challenges and problems faced by renewable energy companies that have emerged in the past years, despite the possibility of addressing them with possible and available solutions in the event that everyone has the will, especially the concerned government agencies and regulators of this sector.

He also stressed the importance of the issues that the union will focus on following up to enable investors to invest in clean and renewable energy while guaranteeing their rights and the rights of all partners, which will protect the right of the subscriber and the final consumer to obtain sustainable and uninterrupted electrical energy at economical and low prices, which will also contribute to Advancing many sectors and encouraging investment projects, especially industrial and agricultural.

Anabtawi stressed the need for concerted efforts by all components of this sector and the removal of various obstacles and challenges such as legal, regulatory and technical obstacles and other problems that may lead to the reluctance of investors to invest in solar energy in the event that these issues are not addressed. Considering that the file of renewable energy represents a national interest par excellence, and we must consider it as a top priority and involve all partners in order to get rid of electricity crises that harm the interests of citizens and institutions, and negatively affect the government treasury and the progress of the national economy.