The U.S. Trade and Development Agency on Wednesday awarded a technical assistance grant to Algeria’s transmission system operator, Société Algérienne Gestionnaire du Réseau de Transport de l’Electricité (“GRTE”), to modernize its electricity grid and facilitate the country’s transition toward renewable energy. GRTE is a subsidiary of Sonelgaz, Algeria’s national electricity and gas company.
“USTDA’s support of this project exemplifies our commitment to supporting climate-smart infrastructure around the globe,” said Enoh T. Ebong, USTDA’s Acting Director. “GRTE’s goal of a renewable energy future is a priority that USTDA is proud to support. USTDA’s assistance will also create opportunities for GRTE to benefit from cutting-edge American technologies as it embarks on its planned grid upgrades.”
The technical assistance will help GRTE plan the development of an automated distributed control system which will allow it to integrate renewable energy from solar and wind sources into its grid. This system will increase the efficiency of GRTE’s grid while strengthening its management of Algeria’s distributed power generation resources.
“Our partnership with USTDA will pave the way for us to modernize and digitalize our electricity network using the expertise of American companies that are leaders in this field,” said Mr. Nabil Yousfi, GRTE’s Chairman and CEO. “Our electricity transmission network will play an important role in Algeria’s transition toward green energy. USTDA’s technical assistance will help ensure that we have the right plan, and it will be an opportunity for our young engineers to gain valuable project planning experience.”
Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Algiers, Gautam Rana, said the United States was proud to support the opportunity “to not only bolster the bilateral relationship between our two countries, but also to join in the efforts to secure reliable, clean, and renewable energy for the people of Algeria.”