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Featured Application: This review subscribes to the MiDiNA project as a part of the European Union-African Union partnership for renewable energy, 'LEAP-RE'. This review will shed light on the energy transition in North African countries and the resilient controls for improving power availability in microgrids. It seeks to draw attention to the advantages and drawbacks of each type of control as well as discuss the specifications for resilient controls that are necessary for microgrids in the North African environment. The ambition of making North Africa a hub for renewable energies and green hydrogen has prompted local governments and the private sector to work together towards boosting the growth of locally available, sustainable energy resources. Numerous climate and energy challenges can be addressed by microgrid technologies, which enable cost-effective incorporation of renewable energy resources and energy storage systems through smart management and control infrastructures. This paper discusses the ongoing energy transition in the countries of North Africa, highlighting the potential for renewable energy sources as well as regional obstacles and challenges. Additionally, it explores how robust and stable controls and advanced management strategies can improve microgrids' performances. Special attention is given to assessing the advantages and disadvantages of conventional and advanced controllers, with an emphasis on resilience needed within the harsh North African environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, there has been a growing interest in distributed generation (DG) technologies, driven by various factors such as fuel price uncertainties, environmental constraints, and increasing power consumption along with transmission capacity shortages, in modern power systems. DG, which involves utilizing clean and renewable energy sources for power generation within the distribution system, has gained significant attention globally. Many developing countries, including Libya, are considering the adoption of DG technologies as part of their energy system expansion plans. Libya, located in North Africa and characterized by vast desert lands, has abundant solar radiation, making solar energy a promising and sustainable source of power. However, despite this energy potential, the southern part of Libya faces frequent power outages. In order to effectively maintain service quality, it is essential to conduct quantitative evaluation of wireless sensor networks. the evaluation of wireless sensor networks involves addressing the multiple attribute group decision-making (MAGDM) problem. To tackle the challenges of MAGDM, an extension of the classical EDAS (Evaluation based on Distance from Average Solution) method is proposed in this paper. The proposed method incorporates interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IVIFSs), which provide a more flexible and comprehensive representation of uncertainty, to handle the complexities of MAGDM. The paper begins with a brief review of essential concepts related to IVIFSs. Then, the weights of attributes are determined using the CRITIC method. Subsequently, the IVIF-EDAS method is established by integrating the EDAS method with IVIFSs, and all the calculation procedures are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microgrids encourage and facilitate the integration of the proliferating distributed energy resources. In this paper, we address the needs of the largely unexplored region of the Middle East and North Africa by proposing a microgrid testbed with resources from this geographical location. The locational and temporal importance of the testbed data is a cornerstone in the motivation to design the system. The proposed microgrid testbed data reflect the special characteristics in the region, including the extremely hot and arid weather, in addition to special cultural events that affect load profiles, and hence the operation of the microgrid. The microgrid testbed consists of hybrid renewable energy resources, energy storage systems, and four load categories under a single-controlled and grid-connected entity. Together with the local utility grid, the energy storage systems, and the over 400kW rated average power of renewables feed the local controllable microgrid loads rated around 500kW. Real and local data from Saudi Arabia with multiple load categories are considered for the model to address the practicality and peculiarity of the study. Multiple case studies are implemented on the testbed to verify its performance and showcase its operation principle. Our results for example show the abruptness of the microgrid testbed controllers and storage devices in achieving energy balance, after introducing a 40% reduction in the PV output due to the shading effect. All testbed data can be accessed online to enable researchers to benchmark their findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy sources (RESs) and electricity demand are not evenly distributed geographically across Europe. Thus, harvesting the wind energy from the north and solar energy from the south and delivering them to the demand in central Europe is a more viable solution. However, the present High-voltage alternating current (HVAC) transmission grids have been sometimes congested; thus, High-voltage direct current (HVDC) provides another possibility along the existing HVAC infrastructure. In this paper, we propose a hybrid HVAC-HVDC grid, allowing a large penetration of concentrated RES in Europe and North Africa. More specifically, the HVDC network is constructed to transfer wind and hydro electricity from northwestern Europe and solar electricity from north Africa, while the HVAC network is used to distribute electricity within each country or among adjacent areas. To quantitatively evaluate the feasibility and relevant performances, multiple dimensions of indicators are designed. Employing several European energy scenarios up to 2050, the performances of the proposed HVAC-HVDC infrastructure are analyzed and compared. The calculation results show that compared with the pure HVAC grid, the integrated HVAC-HVDC grid can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants, leading to a further reduction in the number of deaths from air pollution. In addition, the HVAC-HVDC grids can accommodate a higher penetration of RES without causing infeasible power flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the relationship between technological innovation, renewable energy, economic growth, and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in a group of six specific Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries from 1990 to 2019. The study utilizes the modified innovation environmental Kuznets curve model (ICC) theory to examine the potential existence of an inverted U-shaped curve between innovation and environmental quality in these selected MENA countries. Various econometric methods are employed to analyse the data. The results show a positive and significant impact of patents for residents on CO2 emissions, affirming the influence of patents on environmental quality. Additionally, the square of patents demonstrates a significant negative relationship with carbon emissions, providing evidence for the inverted U shape of Claudia's theory. These findings imply that the ICC is relevant to the selected countries, with the quadratic patent variable suggesting that the use of innovative technology initially increases emissions but reaches a turning point after a certain threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental degradation is reducing crop productivity in many regions of Egypt. Moreover, unsustainable surface water drainage contributes to salinized soil conditions, which negatively impact crops. Egypt is seeking solutions to mitigate the problem of surface water drawdown and its consequences by exploring renewable and sustainable sources of energy. Geothermal energy and the desalination of saline water represent the only solutions to overcoming the fresh water shortage in agricultural industry and to providing sustainable fresh water and electricity to villages and the Bedouin livelihood. In Egypt, the Siwa Oasis contains a cluster of thermal springs, making the area an ideal location for geothermal exploration. Some of these thermal springs are characterized by high surface temperatures reaching 20 °C to 40 °C, and the bottom-hole temperatures (BHT) range from 21 °C to 121.7 °C. Pre-Cambrian basement rocks are usually more than 440 m deep, ranging from 440 m to 4724.4 m deep. It is this feature that makes the Siwa Oasis locality sufficient for geothermal power production and industrial processes. This study utilized both the Horner and the Gulf of Mexico correction methods to determine the formation temperatures from BHT data acquired from 27 deep oil wells. The present study revealed a geothermal gradient ranging from 18 to 42 °C/km, a heat flux of 24.7–111.3 mW/m2, and a thermal conductivity of 1.3–2.65 W/m/k. The derived geothermal, geophysical, and geological layers were combined together with space data and the topographic layer to map relevant physiographic variables including land surface elevation, depth to basement, lineament density, land surface temperature, and geologic rock units. The ten produced variables were integrated in GIS to model the geothermal potential map (GTP) for the Siwa Oasis region. According to the model, both the eastern side and north and northeastern portions of the study region contain high and very high geothermal potential energy. Combining bottom-hole temperature measurements with satellite remote sensing and geospatial analysis can considerably enhance geothermal prospecting in Egypt and other East African areas that have geologically and tectonically similar settings. In addition to identifying sustainable resources needed for food production, this research has implications for renewable energy resources as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following research aims at analysing the energy and security challenges that faces the current MENA region in accordance with the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. It tries to give a comprehensive look upon the situation that defines today's political and economic world. At the beginning, it starts with the assessment of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and its consequences on Europe and the Maghreb. In the next part, it focuses on the various issues that complicate the situation in North Africa regarding energy and security factors. Then the article goes on to describe the gas pipelines that connects the two areas (Europe and North Africa) and it clarifies the threats that hinder the cooperation between them. With a short introduction of the role of Tunisia in this debate, the research finally tries to explore the possibilities in renewable energy resources regarding the substitution of Russian energy supplies on the European market. In the conclusion, the article wanted to give a short and brief, but thourough analysis about the energy and security situation in the region and what solutions are there for the parties to ensure their interests in this complex political, economic and security competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need to transition from fossil energy sources, a major contributor to greenhouse gases has become more critical than ever in the face of rising climate threats. Consequently, there has been a wider acceptance and deployment of renewable energy sources. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), on the other hand, is a standardized tool that has been deployed to comprehend the environmental effects of these alternative energy systems. Most studies conducted in LCA on renewable energy are mostly featured in regions like Europe, Asia, North and South America. While leaving a substantial gap in the volume of work conducted so far in Africa, especially concerning North African countries, a region that shares the largest energy-related CO₂ emissions in the continent. Thus, an in-depth review article is required to discuss the state-of-art on life cycle assessment of renewable energy technologies in North Africa, highlighting the region's peculiarities, outlook, and future prospects. Aspects including the study's overview, goal, scope, kind of renewable energy sources, functional unit, system boundary, and impact categories are included in this review. Results from this review reveal that studies on LCA in this area of work are still at their early stages, accounting for only 2% of the total LCA research in the continent, with solar and bioenergy constituting most of the case studies with 27% and 33% of the total research outlook. In terms of GWP contribution, bioenergy and wind energy recorded the most and least impact in the region, respectively. Findings from this review can help policymakers and researchers have a broader understanding of the environmental contributions of various renewable energy deployed in the region while seeking to improve and regularize the LCA methodology as a standard tool for evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental challenges in MENA countries deserve more attention as they are pursuing economic growth and expanding urbanization and the geographical position of these countries make them more exposed to the outcomes of climate change. In this context, this paper focuses on the proposed solutions for the climate change problem that are renewable energies and the use of fossil fuel effectively in the context of growing urbanization in the MENA region. Indeed, using the GMM estimator for 18 MENA countries during the period 2000-2018, we try to quantify the magnitude of the impact of population, economic prosperity, urbanization, fossil fuels, energy efficiency, and renewable energies, especially solar, wind, and hydropower energies on CO2 emissions. Results allow the environmental Kuznets curve validation and highlight the contribution of energy efficiency in improving the environment. However, the used proportion of renewables in the energy mix does not significantly affect environmental quality. Moreover, solar energy contributes to emissions reduction. While the adopted level of wind and hydropower energy does not allow these countries to improve their environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the role of institutional factors as well as financial development in renewable energy transition in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region over the period 1990–2018, using the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) pooled mean group (PMG) method. The investigation of long-run and short-run analysis confirms that institutional and political factors play a key role in promoting the transition to renewable energy and show that improving these factors can lead to decarbonization of the energy sector in the long run. Another important finding is that global financial development does not have a significant effect on the transition process in the long run, implying that the whole financial system needs a fundamental structural change to accelerate the substitution between polluting and clean energies. However, in the short term, the impact appears to be negative and significant, highlighting the inadequacy of financial institutions and financial markets in promoting the region's sustainable path. Moreover, income drives the transition to renewable energy in both short and long terms. The causality results show that both financial development and institutional quality lead to renewable energy transition, while there is a bidirectional link between income and renewable energy. This study can provide a very useful recommendation to promote a clean transition in the MENA region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable hydrogen is enjoying increasing political and business momentum. But taking full advantage of it will require scaling technologies, reducing costs, deploying enabling infrastructure, and defining appropriate policies and market structures. Since renewable hydrogen could be an important piece in the carbon-free energy puzzle, it is relevant to explore its geopolitical implications as it enables policy makers to navigate a new energy world. Key variables to consider are technology, infrastructure, environment, finance, global markets, and geopolitics. Focusing on renewable hydrogen, this paper provides a methodology to frame these variables, address the challenges they cause, and the potential opportunities. If adopted at scale, we believe the dynamics of future hydrogen markets would be similar to today's natural gas markets - with the potential for similar geopolitical dynamics. Our analysis shows that countries are likely to assume specific roles in future renewable hydrogen systems based on their resource endowment and infrastructure potential. As a result, future geopolitical realities of resource-poor countries in Europe and South-East Asia might look very similar to the present realities, as energy import dependency might continue. We may also witness an emergence of new export champions, such as Australia and North Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Population growth, climate change and urbanization are the main challenges to meet the water demand for the next decades. The global gap between sustainable water supply and water demand is expected to grow above 2,700 km³ by 2030, equivalent to 40% of total water demand. Desalination is an established method to make fresh water--mostly as a last resort. Its contribution to water supply is minor on a global scale. In some regions, though, it is difficult to imagine a sufficient water supply without desalination. But is this technical fix sustainable? In its main part, this paper sheds light on the major issues that call the sustainability of desalination into question. Examination of a number of criteria indicates that the energy demand for desalination is by far the most important issue. Further relevant impacts are wastewater discharges, waste disposal and visual impact. In retrospect, it is noted that energy demand has already shaped today's desalination market, since energy-efficient membrane-based desalination technology has gained market share compared with the more energy-intensive thermal desalination technologies. This development has been supported by a substantial decrease in the specific energy demand of seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) plants. As a result, state-of-the-art SWRO plants require approximately 3-5 kWh/m ³ compared to some 10 kWh/m³ or more two or three decades ago. But almost all desalination plants are powered by fossil energy resources. Hence, using renewable energy (RE) resources instead would be a big step forward towards sustainability. Case studies prepared for three projects in the MENA region demonstrate that selecting RE sources for a desalination plant is economically feasible when compared to non-subsidized fossil fuel. This paper is based on our viewpoint as engineering consultants. It is a summary of studies, reports and surveys conducted on this issue by us in past years. It is intended to give an idea of the options that are available today to make seawater desalination sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most countries in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region currently face water scarcity and rising water demand. In order to respond to these challenges, many MENA countries proceed to the use of desalination. As desalination processes are highly energy-intensive, the use of conventional energy for the operation of desalination plants contributes to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions, with negative impacts on the water cycle. The use of renewable energy sources to supply desalination plants with electricity can be a more sustainable and environmentally friendlier option to bridge the water demand gap. The present paper outlines the main barriers to desalination using renewable energies (referred to in short as 'renewable energy desalination', RED) in most MENA countries, gives an overview of main features of the water and energy policies in the MENA region, and compares them to the framework conditions in Australia or Spain. Supportive policy approaches to overcome the existing barriers and to promote RED are highlighted. The paper advocates the importance of adopting a more consistent legal framework to foster the deployment of RED and thereby reduce the effects of climate change and water scarcity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the impact of qualities and constraints in human capital in the labor force on the progress and development of the renewable energy sector in North Africa. Other topics discussed include characteristics of renewable energy as a sustainable development model, domestic needs and qualities and opportunities of renewable energy development. It also mentions challenges to policy making and impact on the progress of renewable energy.

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region stands out globally both for the immensity of its energy resources, and the paucity of its freshwater resources. Most energy extraction and conversion technologies have associated freshwater demand, and in the MENA region these account for 2 % of the available sustainable supply. We examine how this demand could change over the 21st century, assuming growth in population and economic output, and considering three alternative pathways for energy efficiency, carbon intensity, and energy exports from the region. We find that in the pathway marked by improved efficiency, a transition to renewable energy sources, and declining energy exports, water consumption for energy is twice as high as today's values by the end of the century. By contrast, in the pathway marked by continued commitment to fossil resource extraction, use, and export, water demand for energy might rise by a factor of five. If the region were to maintain high levels of energy exports, but would substitute the export of fossil fuels by an equivalent amount of electricity derived from sunlight, a freshwater volume comparable to the household needs of up to 195 million people could be saved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, wind energy potential and perspectives in the eastern North Africa region (Tunisia) have been investigated in terms of connectivity to the projected Czisch European HVDC super grid. A simplified extracted scheme of this grid has been used as a guide to optimize transportation efficiency through the whole net. Wind, as an available and easily exploitable renewable energy was showing to have a promising future for 2025 horizon in the context of a connected net with the European Union, despite local sub-grids disparities. This is also to emphasis HVDC technology adequacy for economical power transmission over very long distances and connection between differently established grids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As renewable energies gain both in importance and in share of the global energy mix, questions arise as to whether they will face the same energy security challenges - such as terrorist attacks - that have confronted the oil and gas industry. This article addresses the risk of terrorism to the infrastructure associated with renewable energies and electrical power systems and transmission lines. It reviews the capacities of various risk assessment tools and analyzes the potential terrorist threat to the Desertec concept, which envisions meeting 15 per cent of Europe's electricity demand by 2050 with renewable energy sourced from the Middle East North Africa region. Some industry observers have already voiced grave concerns about potential European dependence on this region, specifically because of the presence of terrorist groups, including Al Qaeda, which was responsible for the 2001 attacks in the United States. The data for the Desertec case study analysis are partly informed by a series of interviews conducted with correspondents located in Europe and in North Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]