30 May, 2023, Gaza – The Graduation Ceremony of the energy trainings promoted by United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) under the MOUSTADAMA Programme was held on 30 May at the AlMashtel Hotel in Gaza. To mark the occasion, stakeholders and beneficiaries of the Energy Management System (ENmS) Expert Training and the Renewable Energy (RE) Training gathered together to celebrate the achievements of the certified energy experts, of the trainings participants, and of the industries involved in the practical on-the-jobs trainings as host plants.
Both courses are designed to strengthen Gaza's energy professionals’ capabilities and to respond to the growing demand from industries to optimize their industrial performance through increased energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions. Based on the latest international guidelines, with special reference to the ISO 50001 standard in the case of industrial energy efficiency, the courses have been adapted to the specific needs of the local industry. Course materials were revised to include contextual information, while a close relationship with industry allowed UNIDO to tailor its proposal to the needs of the enterprises.
Renewable energy training is also designed to provide the tools and skills needed to install solar projects through capacity building and focus on the design, installation, testing, operation, and maintenance of various applications of PV systems operating in industrial plants. The practical exercises were conducted in cooperation with the Jerusalem Governorate Electricity Training Centre in Jericho, east of the West Bank, and the Training College of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Middle East (UNRWA) in Khan Younis Governorate, southern Gaza.
56 trainees were enrolled in the Energy Management Systems Program, where 32 qualified persons who had passed all the requirements of the Program graduated to become UNIDO certified experts in energy management systems. 106 trainees participated in the Renewable Energy Program, and 57 trainees were accredited as experts after passing the final test. In both trainings, women's participation achieved or exceeded expectations - based on the objectives of the MOUSTADAMA Programme of 30% of total participation - where the proportion of women in the Energy Management Systems Training Program accounted for 30%, and 41% in the renewable energy Training Programme. During the graduation ceremony, experts who successfully passed all the requirements and final tests of the Training Programs were certified, as well as the participants and hostplants that collaborated with "sustainable" as industrial partners.
During his participation in the ceremony in Ramallah, National Economy Minister H.E. Khaled Osaily emphasized the motivational role that a new generation of energy experts could play in leading the transition towards a green economy and responding to the energy needs of the State of Palestine's industrial sector.
"Energy security in Palestine is essential to consolidating and strengthening the country's economy and paving the way for private sector growth and reducing the carbon footprint of the industrial sector," said Mr. Osaily. "To succeed, we are working together with UNIDO to train specialized human resources in accordance with international standards, taking into account the specificities of the Palestinian context." He stressed that "MOUSTADMA" Training Programme had already proved effective in building the expertise of a new generation of sustainable energy experts, noting that the Ministry of National Economy, which was pleased to reaffirm its strategic partnership with UNIDO, appreciated the positive results achieved and hoped that new graduates would work to support the Palestinian industry in enhancing its performance in the areas of sustainable energy, thereby increasing its industrial and competitive capacity".
At the Gaza graduation ceremony, the Vice-President of the Federation of Palestinian Industries, Mr. Osama Al-Nassan, confirmed the industrial sector's support for improving the energy efficiency of industrial enterprises through capacity-building initiatives and the development of new and sustainable solutions.
"As is often the case in the Gaza Strip, initiatives, innovation and intensified efforts can compensate for a lack of resources," he said. He added: "We have two fundamental solutions to help our business adapt to limited energy availability and sources, energy efficiency and renewable energy. Energy efficiency has the great advantage of being low-cost. They are often carried out through multiple low-cost or no-cost interventions in industrial equipment and production lines, thereby positively reducing energy consumption from the source.”"Renewable energy is also a great opportunity for Gaza's industry - it's our future. Renewable energy not only has a clean energy advantage, which helps us improve our environment, especially in a densely populated place like Gaza, but also allows us to produce energy locally without having to import it." He added
UNIDO Senior Programme Officer in Palestine Mr. Ahmed ElFarra expressed satisfaction with the impressive results achieved through training, which had effectively begun to make a fundamental contribution to the need to increase energy performance and diversification and reduce carbon emissions from Palestinian industry in the international effort to address the challenges of climate change.
“The certificates we have distributed today to participants in our Training Programs are not only a means of appreciating the many efforts and commitment of these sustainable energy experts, which is certainly remarkable. Through their expertise, experts will be able to respond positively to the industry's growing demand for improved energy efficiency and clean green energy production, and therefore its contribution will be critical to enhancing energy performance and competitiveness and developing sustainable solutions capable of mitigating climate change and promoting sustainable and inclusive development.” Mr. ElFarra added,” Palestine's energy problems remain critical. However, sustainable solutions are available to reverse energy dependence, high energy prices and fossil fuel consumption. Every penny we save on energy spending can be invested in developing our industry, creating jobs, and investing in the environment and human resources. We are therefore committed to raising awareness among industrial companies by helping them understand the value of the benefits they can access by promoting commitment to energy efficiency and the introduction of renewable energy technology. "
The role of EnMS and RE experts will be crucial in helping industries to understand the potential of energy management and to design tailored interventions to help them save and produce energy. Under the MOUSTADAMA Programme, the collaboration between these experts and partner industries is already showing results. This is the case of Pepsi Cola (Yazgi Group), which partnered with MOUSTADAMA to make its facility available for energy trainees to conduct both an energy audit and the design of a tailored solar PV system, under the supervision of UNIDO experts. The energy efficiency measures implemented have saved approximately 10% of the total annual energy consumption, while the new renewable energy systems now generate approximately 1,517 MWh per year, reducing the factory's energy bill by more than 90%. With an annual reduction of 456 tons of CO2, the PV system will also help reduce gas emissions and mitigate the anthropogenic impact on Gaza's ecosystem.
