Towards a White Paper for RES & RUE Strategy for Cyprus
Project decription
The project "White Paper for Cyprus" intended to facilitate the implementation of the European Community’s key-policies for RES and RUE integration in the Republic of Cyprus who joined the European Union in May 2004. A precondition for its accession to the EU was compliance with the union’s energy policies and environmental commitments, which is why the Republic of Cyprus was chosen for this pilot action. In addition, Cyprus presented a particular interest because its energy system is both vulnerable and non-sustainable as shown by the following characteristics:
- Typical insular system almost completely dependent on imported energy (over 97%) and with no prospects to be interconnected with EU's energy networks in the near future.
- Sound and fast developing economy, founded to a large extent on the sector of services and with an important contribution of tourism-related activities.
- Severe water scarcity problems, which may require additional energy in order to be effectively solved.
- High increase rates of energy consumption with transport and buildings being the largest energy consuming sectors.
- Autonomous electricity grid supplied exclusively with oil and thus threatened by instability.
- Significant RES potential capable of meeting an important share of energy supply, especially if combined with investments on RUE technologies.
Although unique in their combination, the above described characteristics are very often encountered in other Mediterranean regions and EU islands. Thus, Cyprus was given the opportunity to play an intermediate link in the “learning” process that is systematically promoted in the field of RES and RUE within the EU. This means that Cyprus could rely on the experience gained in other similar geographical units, like Crete, Tenerife, Sardinia and at the same time serve as an example to further disseminate “good practices” in other regions and islands within the enlarged EU.
The International Conference - RES and RUE for Islands - Sustainable Energy Solutions - took place in Larnaca, Cyprus, on 30 and 31 August 2004. It was the the follow-up conference to the conference on Islands in Crete. It was a very successful conference with many participants, including participants from islands such as Tenerife, Crete and Cuba. It was a two-day event that mainly aimed at demonstrating the possible sustainable energy solutions for islands. In addition the most recent R&D research in RES and RUE, as well as the most successful policies and local initiatives undertaken to solve islands specific energy needs, were presented.
