The Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE), the official technical arm of the League of Arab States, has invited bids to select a consultant to conduct a study on decarbonizing the transport sector in the Arab region and prepare guidelines for connecting electric vehicle (EV) charging stations with the electricity grid.

The scope of work includes collecting data on the transport sector status in the Arab region and assessing the current penetration of EVs and existing charging infrastructure.

The consultant will have to develop comprehensive technical guidelines for installing individual EV charging stations regarding safety, grid connection requirements, and licensing. The guidelines should cover the technical aspects of public charging stations, accessibility, ease of use, visibility, safety for installers, users, and the public, and the choice of sites and their optimization.

The last date to submit the bids is August 14, 2022.

The start of the assignment is planned for August 21, 2022. The study is expected to be submitted by October 15, 2022.

Bidders should have an advanced university degree in energy, energy planning, renewable engineering, other energy-relevant fields, economics, and policy development.

They should have an in-depth knowledge of the transportation sector, including technical and financial issues of transport sector emissions baseline, along with socio-economic and technological development focusing on the EVs.

Bidders should have at least 15 years of experience in the transport sector, including design strategies and policy deployment at the international or regional level, preferably with further experience in the Arab region.

They should be aware of the energy sector’s institutional, regulatory, and legal frameworks, including legal drafting of policies, supporting measures, and administrative procedures.

The assignment must be conducted in close coordination with RCREEE and its partners, ensuring the monitoring and supervision of the work progress.

According to a study published in 2020 by IsDB, the expected growth in transport sector emissions in the Arab region will increase by up to 200% by 2050. Algeria, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia are among the region’s largest emitters of carbon dioxide from vehicles.

There has been a growing shift toward EVs in the last few years, with most countries opting for EVs to cut down on carbon emissions and meet the net zero goal.

The sale of electric cars more than doubled to 6.6 million in 2021 compared to 3 million in 2020, accounting for 9% of the global car market, a report by the International Energy Agency.

According to the Smart Electric Power Alliance, the United States alone could have up to 35 million EVs on the roads by 2030. This would generate a new power demand of 100 TWh annually.

In India, EV retail sales clocked 390,399 units in the first half (1H) of the calendar year 2022. It represented a 333% year-over-year (YoY) growth compared to the 90,102 units sold in the same period last year.