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Increasing the mix of renewable energy is Lebanon's only chance to achieve its 2030 energy mix targets, which includes 30% from renewables.

George Abboud

COO, Earth Technologies

Earth Technologies was established to provide sustainable solutions to address the energy problems that affect Lebanon as much as the rest of the world. Our company is solution oriented; we identify niches and opportunities where energy solutions are needed and provide customized solutions that are built using renewable energy. Our solutions include water heating, solar energy kits to provide rural electrification, telecom solutions, power plants, electric vehicles (EVs), and mini-grids for small villages. The key to our services is adaptability. We are also committed to investing in education and raising awareness about the importance of renewable energies and sustainable development. We help many NGOs with education; we send engineers to schools and universities to do trainings. Such efforts need to be mirrored on a national scale, with a larger commitment from the private and public sectors. The green economy in Lebanon is evolving. With the CEDRE funds and infrastructure projects on the horizon, there is around USD5.5 billion in investment for the energy sector. Law 288, which allows the private sector to produce electricity and sell it to the government, is an important step forward, as it enables the private sector to assist the public sector in improving the electricity sector.

Rabih Osta Area

General Manager, Phoenix Group

Phoenix is a member of Indevco Group, a multinational group of companies owned by the Frem family. Our first project in renewable energies was manufacturing solar water heaters designed in the Netherlands, which gave us a competitive edge in the renewable market in Lebanon. We later moved into photovoltaic (PV) projects. Our installations include several noteworthy projects, such as the biggest rooftop in Lebanon with a capacity of 1.3MW and the Beirut River Solar Snake Project. At the time, the Beirut River Solar Snake was the biggest PV project in Lebanon and represented a huge challenge on the engineering side. More recently, we were shortlisted for one of the 15-MW solar projects in the north launched by the Ministry of Energy. In addition, Phoenix Energy has developed additional renewable solutions, such as a wide range of biomass boilers and absorption chillers for the wasted heat generated from plants. In most production facilities, chilled water is used for processes and air conditioning, and we want to use the wasted heat and convert it into cooling capacity using the absorption chiller technique. Now, Phoenix is an international player in the development as well as the EPC business in the PV field.

Ramzi Abu Said

Managing Director, Ramzi Abu Said

Founded in 1965 by my father as a construction company, ASACO moved toward renewables in 1998 under my lead, becoming the first renewable energy company in Lebanon. At the time, it was challenging to convince clients to adopt renewable energy because it was a new trend with little public awareness, and renewables were fairly expensive compared to conventional sources. Eventually, we developed into a strong sector with great promise. ASACO has mirrored the growth of the sector, becoming a regional leader in the sector. We have the largest record in terms of system implementation on a company scale and the largest number of kilowatts generated. Far from having a monopoly on the service, in the last few years we have seen other companies catching up and contributing to what will be the economy of the future. We focus on large and medium projects, both nationally and internationally, serving business and corporate clients rather than residential projects, which would represent a different track. We see a major opportunity and demand in this segment, though residential projects also represent an important share of the sector and are already served by many companies. Thanks to our experience and background, we cover all sources of renewable energies.

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