13 January 2003 Paris --- Algerian Minister of Energy and Mining and former OPEC President, Chakib Khelil and Ambassador William C. Ramsay, Acting Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), today met at the Agency in Paris to attend a ceremony marking the accession of NEAL (New Energy Algeria) to the IEA Implementing Agreement on Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems, SolarPACES. Algeria is the second OPEC member country to join an IEA Implementing Agreement and the first in the field of renewable energy.


As part of its commitment to expanding its electricity generating capacity, Algeria aims to increase the share of solar power in electricity generation to five percent by 2010. It is keen to establish a partnership with the European Union to supply electricity from Algerian solar powered generating plants. Plans are underway for two undersea transmission cables with capacity of 1.2GW each to carry electricity from Algeria to Spain and Italy.

The IEA SolarPACES Implementing Agreement, created in 1977, conducts a programme of research and development in the field of concentrating solar power (CSP) and chemical energy systems. Systematic development of three CSP technologies-troughs, towers, and dishes-has made it possible for these technologies to concentrate and harness solar energy for electricity production and other uses efficiently, reliably and cost effectively. Commercial applications from a few kilowatts (kW) to hundreds of megawatts (MW) are now feasible. It is hoped that by 2010, CSP technologies will contribute substantially to the supply of clean, sustainable energy services in the world's sunbelt.


SolarPACES counts 14 member countries, many of which are well-placed to benefit from the application of solar concentrating technologies.


The IEA has provided a legal framework, known as an Implementing Agreement, for international collaboration in energy technology R&D and deployment, since its creation in 1974. Enhanced energy technology is the key to ensuring environmental sustainability together with economic growth and energy security.