Russia had been a major oil and gas supplier for the EU until the latter imposed sanctions against Moscow, cutting oil and reducing gas supplies from Russia following the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine.
Now the EU is seeking to diversify energy imports.
Africa is “probably going to be the most important partner for Europe in terms of developing the renewable energy sector,” the EU climate chief, Frans Timmermans, has said, while speaking at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) meeting in Abu Dhabi, the UAE.
Among such potential partnership projects are plans to import electricity to Greece from Egypt through an undersea cable, which is already under construction; a similar cable link between Europe and Morocco is also being established, European media reported, citing Timmermans.
The said project connecting Greece and Egypt is being undertaken by Greece’s Copelouzos Group and is designed to bring 3,000 megawatts of electricity produced from Egyptian renewable energy sources to European countries.
Bringing 3,000 MW of clean energy to Europe, via Greece, “will be much cheaper than today’s energy prices” and will help both Greek and European consumers, said Ioannis Karydas, CEO of renewables, Copelouzos Group, in 2022, commenting on the project.
Apart from pointing to the European strive to “partner” with Africa on the renewable energy issue, Timmermans also emphasized the European interest in green hydrogen, noting that the EU
“will need more green hydrogen than we can produce ourselves, so we’re looking for countries where green hydrogen can be produced.”
