According to information obtained from an anonymous source by Renewable Energy Magazine, Pedro Marín, Spain’s former Secretary of State for Energy, could soon become the new Director General of the International Renewable Energy Agency. That is, of course, if he obtains more votes during IRENA’s General Assembly in Abu Dhabi in the first week of April than his only remaining rival, Adnan Amin, the Agency’s current Interim Director General and, for many, the favourite candidate. Whatever the outcome of the title race, getting this far has not been easy. Initially, 69 candidates applied for the post, with Marín having to face one after another international tribunals (comprising a committee of ten countries) established to manage the selection process until only he and Amin remain as finalists.
During his tenure as Spain’s Secretary of State for Energy, Pedro Marín did not exactly stand out as an advocate of renewable energy. In fact, he faced constant criticism by the sector for his performance. Now, in an unexpected turn of events, if he is finally appointed as IRENA’s new Director General, Marín’s first challenge will be "to revive the Agency, which has so far suffered from a very low profile due to the lack of involvement of Hélène Pelosse, the former Director General”, say the sources consulted by Renewable Energy Magazine.
The same sources indicate that IRENA’s mission is not to compete with the International Energy Agency. "Its role should be to foster the development of sustainable and economically viable energy systems in countries with energy deficits, offering the ‘advantage’ that these countries can avoid having to construct the same outdated energy model of developed nations, and can instead move directly to a new model". For Spain, the sources add, "the appointment of Marin could help foster a more coherent view of renewables and boost Spanish technology".
Two days ago on 21 February, Spain ratified the treaty establishing the Agency, which was formally incorporated in 2009. So far, 56 of the 149 signatory countries have done the same.
The fifth session of the Preparatory Commission for IRENA will be held on 3 April, followed by the first session of its General Assembly (4-5 April) during which it will be announced whether Marín or Amin will be taking the Agency forward as its new Director General.
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