Renewables 'rising on MENA agenda'

Despite multiple barriers ranging from regulatory issues to a economy dominated by the needs of the oil and gas industry, the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) is increasingly striving for renewables and solar power, in particular to lessen its dependence on fossil fuel generation, speakers at a panel on MENA PV markets at the Intersolar conference in Munich stressed.

"The MENA region is quite challenging for renewable energy in general. There is a great potential for solar and wind, but the energy structure is not easy for renewables or PV to enter," said Anita Richter, a project leader at Germany's society for international cooperation, or GIZ.

Widespread fossil fuel subsidies are in the way of the development of renewables as much as regulatory barriers in the region, she added.

"But

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Renewables 'rising on MENA agenda'