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  • Energy efficiency and solar energy for a sustainable development of the Mediterranean Region: Cairo capitalization event
    Energy efficiency and solar energy for a sustainable development of the Mediterranean Region: Cairo capitalization event
  •  MED-DESIRE Football Tournament
    MED-DESIRE Football Tournament
  • Awareness campaign about RES & EE in the educational community of Monastir
    Awareness campaign about RES & EE in the educational community of Monastir
  • MED-DESIRE final event in Rome, December 18
    MED-DESIRE final event in Rome, December 18
  • NREA and AAE signed a MoU within the MED-DESIRE project
    NREA and AAE signed a MoU within the MED-DESIRE project
  • Local capitalization event in Lebanon
    Local capitalization event in Lebanon

Project

Solar technology markets have experienced a steady growth in the last decade on the Northern shore of the Mediterranean basin, while the situation is still at a premature stage in Southern Partner Countries. Notwithstanding the shared political commitment and a common recognition of the huge solar potential of the Mediterranean region, some barriers to solar energy deployment and diffusion persist. These include, among others, weak institutional frameworks, lack of competence of energy practitioners, need of dedicated financial instruments, inadequate perception on the benefits of solar energy investments, subsidized prices of electricity produced by fossil fuel plants and technical issues (such as the quality of equipment and installations).

MED-DESIRE main priority is to achieve tangible results on these challenges, removing barriers related to the legal, regulatory, economic and organizational framework of distributed solar energy technologies. Co-funded by the European Union through the ENPI CBC MED Programme 2007-2013 for an amount of 4.192.000 Euro, the project aims at spreading energy efficiency, and in particular, solar energy across the Mediterranean area through the definition of innovative financial schemes and market stimulation tools. The project will facilitate the take up of distributed solar energy and energy efficiency in the target regions, by achieving an effective cross-border cooperation and by raising public awareness on the related benefits for the environment and for sustainable local development.

MED-DESIRE is one of 95 projects funded by ENPI CBC MED Programme (www.enpicbcmed.eu). With a total budget of 200 million Euro and under the Autonomous Region of Sardinia guide as Managing Authority, it aims to promote the sustainable and harmonious cooperation process at the Basin level by dealing with the common challenges and enhancing its endogenous potential. This is a multilateral Cross-Border Cooperation initiative funded by the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) which involves 14 Countries: Cyprus, Egypt, France, Jordan, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Palestinian Authority, Portugal, Spain, Syria (participation currently suspended) and Tunisia.

The partnership of this 35-months long strategic project is composed by nine partners from five countries, including the Puglia Region - Regional Ministry for Economic Development - Industrial Research and Innovation Department (lead partner) and ARTI, the Regional Agency for Technology and Innovation (co-actuator of the project); the Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea; the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA); the three Spanish partners Andalusian Energy Agency (AAE), Andalusian Institute of Technology (IAT) and Center of Energetic, Environmental And Technological Investigations - Solar Platform of Almeria (CIEMAT-PSA); the Tunisian National Agency for Energy Conservation (ANME); the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC); the Egyptian New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA).

Beneficiary

Puglia Region - Research and Competitiveness Service, Industrial Research and Technological Innovation Office (Italy)

Budget

Med-Desire total budget is 4.470.463,70 Euro and it is financed 90% by the European Union through the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument. The ENPI CBC MED Programme aims at reinforcing cooperation between the European Union and partner countries regions placed along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.

Target group

  • Central and local administrations, institutions and agencies, that will improve their know-how on technical, legislative and financial issues, which will facilitate policy development
  • Local SMEs and professionals, that will improve their knowledge about solar technologies and market opportunities
  • Financial institutions needing clear and reliable information on technologies, investment costs, payback times and internal rates of return, as well as a stable regulatory frame
  • Business support organizations, entrepreneurial associations and industrial districts, who will be involved in the awareness raising campaign and will improve their role as a reference for SMEs on both shores of the Mediterranean Sea

Final beneficiaries

  • Local communities and citizens at large
  • Energy consumers (both retail and industrial)
  • Research centres and universities