The Danish Energy Agency helps Egypt on the journey towards a greener future

Egypt now becomes the 15^th country collaborating bilaterally with the Danish Energy Agency. The collaboration will focus on securing more renewable energy in the Egyptian energy system, and will help Egypt achieving its goal of increasing the share of renewable energy in electricity consumption from 9% to 43% by 2035.

With a population of approx. 100 million people and an annual population growth of 2.5 percent, focus on energy is crucial to ensure security of supply and development in Egypt. The country's goal is to increase the share of renewable energy in the electricity sector to 43% in 2035 from the current 9%. Egypt aims also at mitigating its climate pressure by reducing the use of fossil fuels in electricity production to 49% by 2030. Today, more than 90% of Egyptian electricity production is based on fossil fuels.

The objective for the new energy program with Egypt, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is to promote cooperation between the governments and authorities of the two countries by making relevant Danish experience available in an Egyptian context. It takes place over three years and in close cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Danish Embassy in Cairo.

The Danish partnership programs are based on actual demand from the partner country. The starting point is a close peer to peer cooperation between authorities, which has the opportunity to strengthen the framework conditions for a green transition.

"The Danish Energy Agency has great expectations that the cooperation with the Egyptian authorities will increase the demand for Danish energy knowledge and technology - also for the benefit of Danish companies", says Deputy Director General of the Danish Energy Agency, Martin Hansen.

The Danish Energy Agency will provide technical assistance in accordance with a joint work program, which will be agreed with local partners, supported by an active involvement of the Danish embassy. In connection with the collaboration, an adviser will be posted at the Danish Embassy in Cairo to provide technical assistance in selected areas.

“From the Danish side, we are keen to strengthen and expand our long-term cooperation with Egypt and build on previous experiences with close contact in the energy field. Strengthened government cooperation on energy and placing an adviser at the embassy in Cairo is a win-win for both countries, as it matches Danish core competencies and Egyptian development priorities," says Denmark's ambassador in Cairo, Tomas Anker Christensen

Read more about the DEA's country cooperation at the DEA's website. 

Facts:

• The Danish Energy Agency's Center for Global Counseling supports a number of emerging countries with their green transition of the energy sector. Denmark has - with 40 years of experience and ambitious political goals for renewable energy - much to offer. In 2017, more than 43% of Danish electricity consumption was based on wind, while security of supply remains among the most reliable in the world.
• The Danish Energy Agency already operates in partnership with energy regulators in 14 countries in close cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The purpose is to meet global demand for sustainable solutions in emerging markets, which also promotes private sector investment opportunities.
• The DEA has partnerships with South Korea, Vietnam, China, Indonesia, India, Turkey, Ukraine, Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa, Mexico, USA, UK, Germany and the Netherlands. Read more on the DEA's website. 
• The cooperation with Egypt runs from 2019 to 2022 and is financed through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Contact:

Special Advisor, Steffen Nielsen, 33 92 66 96, srn@ens.dk

Advisor, Niels Bisgaard Pedersen, 23 39 36 66, nbp@ens.dk