On 12 March in Rome, MEDREG participated in a conference titled “Transitioning Energy in the Mediterranean”, jointly organised by the Organisation Méditerranéenne de l’Energie et du Climat (OMEC) and the Italian National Committee of the World Energy Council (WEC Italy), in collaboration with Edison.
As the current geopolitical crisis is affecting energy markets at the global level, the Euro-Mediterranean region finds itself once again at the centre of ongoing energy dynamics, pushing energy to the forefront of governments and industry agendas and highlighting the need for a concerted and effective response.
The meeting enabled MEDREG to deepen issues related to energy transition and security in the Mediterranean region together with high level institutional representatives, international organisations and energy stakeholders from the region.
Represented by its Board of Presidents, our Association shared insights on the challenges and opportunities implied by the transformations happening in the Euro-Mediterranean region's energy sector, focusing on the evolving regulatory landscape.
Taking part in the high-level dialogue session, MEDREG President Abdellatif Bardach, also President of the Moroccan National Electricity Regulatory Authority (ANRE) highlighted the importance of interconnections and interoperability of the systems, requiring a Mediterranean grid code setting the minimum criterion for it. Recalling the potential of our region’s sun and wind to having a clean energy market, he invited countries to embrace these renewable options, which require adjustments to the regulatory framework. According to him, regulations are not only necessary to ensure grid stability and fair competition, but they can also actively incentivise and facilitate the integration of these new sources.
Green hydrogen was mentioned as a clean and sustainable alternative, offering a pathway to decarbonise various sectors, including industry and transportation. In this regard, the Morocco has a lot to offer for the development of the green hydrogen sector, and the country aims to position itself as a leading player in renewable energy, leveraging its strategic advantages and robust infrastructure, indicated President Bardach.
He also emphasised the benefits of dynamic regulations. Indeed, regulations which are flexible and adaptable can accommodate new technologies, market trends, and progressing energy needs, he said.
For a true evolution to occur, he praised the combined efforts between the energy stakeholders of the region such as OMEC, the Association of Mediterranean Electricity Transmission system Operators (Med-TSO), the Mediterranean Association of National Agencies for Energy Management (MEDENER) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM).
In his keynote speech, Stefano Besseghini, Permanent Vice-President of MEDREG and President of ARERA, gave some hints about the strategies developed in Italy to ensure a stable supply and mitigate risks threatening energy security. He mentioned the diversification of energy sources, and in particular of gas imports, and the partners’ collaboration to fortify the interconnectedness of the energy infrastructure. He then alluded to the measures implemented by ARERA to protect consumers from price surge, and the efforts deployed by MEDREG through its dedicated Task Force on price surge which studies the developments of the market and the effect on the final consumers, while also looking at the status of the security of supply in the countries in the region.
For his part, Konstantinos Tsimaras, Vice President of MEDREG and a Board Member at the Greek Regulatory Authority for Energy, Waste and Water, shared perspectives on energy security challenges in the “5th meeting of WEC Med cross-regional collaboration initiative".
He stressed that it is a multifaceted challenge that requires multiple solutions at different levels, and recalled that given our approaches and geographies, one solution would not fit all. Finding solutions demands a collective response, where individual efforts can be harmonised into a regional energy strategy, he added. He advocated for the immense potential that lies within cross-regional collaboration to ensure a smooth energy transition and the role of the regulator in that regard.
He underlined the role of the regulator in facilitating clean energy investment, promoting grid modernisation, and ensuring consumer protection.
To support the debate, OMEC presented its Mediterranean Energy Perspectives 2023 as well as the results of the WEC Med cross-regional collaboration initiative, to which OMEC contributed.