Georgetown : Energy Ministers and Senior Officials from South American and Arab countries (ASPA) convened in Abu Dhabi on January 16, 2013 for an inaugural meeting on the energy sector, held as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.
The Guyana delegation comprising Prime Minister, Samuel Hinds, Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Energy Agency, Dr. Mahender Sharma, and, Protocol Officer, Mr. Roopchand Bissessar attended the event.
The Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) hosted the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week which included activities of the General Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency, the World Future Energy Summit, the International Water Summit, Abu Dhabi International Renewable Energy Conference and the Zayed Future Energy Prize award ceremony.
In the final Declaration, the Ministers and Senior Officials reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing energy links between the two regions and highlighted the opportunities for cooperation in the rapidly diversifying global energy portfolio. The Ministerial meeting put into action the Lima Declaration’s call for energy to form an axis and backbone of bi-regional relationship in the coming years.
In the area of Renewable Energy, to develop the future activities of ASPA, the delegations agreed to:
1. Prioritise joint cooperation in renewable energy as a key component of sustainable development
2. Identify mechanism and priority topics for:
1. Exchange of experiences, including policy successes and challenges
2. Resource quality assessment
3. Promotion of investment and financing opportunities
4. Academic collaboration
5. Performance and cost data on renewable energy products and services
6. Grid interconnection and energy storage
7. Capacity-building
1. Utilise International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) headquartered in Abu Dhabi, as a primary forum for cooperation and support for inter-regional initiatives, in cooperation with the Latin American Energy Organisation (OLADE).
In the area of Oil and Gas the delegations agreed to:
1. Promote opportunities for cross regional investment in the sector, noting the essential value of robust exploration, production and distribution to all ASPA economies
2. Identify opportunities, through peer-learning and best-practice sharing, to improve the energy and carbon efficiency of the oil and gas industry, including transport
3. Identify opportunities for capacity- development and academic exchange among researchers and practitioners in the sector
In the area of Energy Efficiency the delegations agreed to:
1. Highlight investment and support opportunities in domestic energy efficiency initiatives as among the lowest-cost means of improving energy security and mitigating environmental impacts of energy consumption
2. Identify mechanisms for exchange of knowledge on policy frameworks, incentives, energy service markets and protection of disadvantaged consumers
3. Identify opportunities for data sharing on efficient products and services, notably including appliances.
In the area the Power Sector the delegations agreed to:
1. Identify opportunities and joint investments in power projects
2. Encourage investors and contractors to consider opportunities in the ASPA countries’ power sectors
3. Exchange experiences in developing power market regulations
4. Encourage investment opportunities to increase local content (products and services) in the power sector.
The ASPA countries, to achieve the objectives of the Declaration, agreed to develop a three-year work programme of follow-up actions in accordance with their overall policies, laws and regulations.
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