MENALINKS highlights sector coupling at World PtX Summit 2025 in Marrakesh
In October 2025, MENALINKS strengthened its regional presence by participating in the World PtX Summit in Marrakesh, Morocco. By aligning its attendance with the MENALINKS Regional Study Tour and the Regional Expert Committee meeting, MENALINKS amplified synergies and introduced Power-to-X (PtX) as a central theme for sector coupling. The PtX Summit provided a unique platform for stakeholders to listen in to high-level panels, engage in expert discussions and broaden their networks. In addition, the programme expanded its outreach by sharing initial results and promoting upcoming events and publications, significantly boosting MENALINKS’ visibility. These opportunities further advanced MENALINKS’ aim to support the integration of renewable energies and collaboration across the MENA region.
Expanding the focus to Power-to-X
In 2025, MENALINKS participated at the World PtX Summit in Marrakesh, Morocco. The participation has been strategically held back-to-back with two core programme formats being the MENALINKS Regional Study Tour and the Regional Expert Committee (REC), with the aim to amplify synergies and maximize impact. The World PtX Summit, co-organized by our Moroccan local partner IRESEN, offered a timely opportunity to introduce power-to-X (PtX) as a central theme of sector coupling within MENALINKS. Participants were able to attend a diverse range of presentations, side events, and panel discussions on power-to-X (PtX), gaining insights into current developments and international perspectives on the topic.
MENALINKS side event
A dedicated MENALINKS side event, titled “MENA’s Flexible Future: Unlocking Sector Coupling Flexibility Through Regional Collaboration,” was held on October 2nd, attracting around 60 spectators. Moderated by Dr. Maged Mahmoud from the Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE, Egypt) , the session opened with an introduction to the MENALINKS programme by our programme Director Dr. Christian Nabe (Guidehouse) and a welcome address from the Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy, Stefan Bantle, who emphasized the programme’s strategic importance. The event featured expert presentations outlining the project’s first overarching results and tools, including the Flex Tracker methodology (Isabelle Gerkens, Elia Grid International), a benchmark on regulatory incentives for flexibility (Gustave Apap, Elia Grid International), an introduction to industrial flexibility (Philipp Creutzburg, Guidehouse), and a preview of the programme’s Finance Landscape Assessment (Tareq Zahw, Guidehouse). The event concluded with a high-level panel discussion that brought together country representatives from Jordan (Reem Al-Bzour, MEMR), Türkiye (Engin Bostanci, MENR), Tunisia (Abdelhamid Khalfallah, MIME), Morocco (Abdelilah Rochd, Green Energy Park), and Egypt (Tareq Zahw, Guidehouse, on behalf of MoERE). These experts shared their insights and perspectives on their national energy transitions, the need of advancing flexibility through regional collaboration, offering a rich exchange of experiences and approaches from across the MENA region.
Expert contributions on the main stage and beyond
MENALINKS project partners also actively contributed to shaping the programme of the PtX Summit by participating as speakers and sharing their expertise in dedicated sessions and panel discussions:
Main stage, panel 8: Ports and Infrastructure at the Heart of Power-to-X Corridors: Dr. Christian Nabe, MENALINKS Programme Director (Guidehouse), shares insights on “PtX as a Source for Power System Flexibility,” highlighting the role of Power-to-X in supporting resilient and innovative energy systems. He highlighted the role of technologies like electrolysers and hydrogen storage in supporting both short- and long-term flexibility and discussed the importance of system-level assessments to allocate costs and benefits effectively. Drawing on experiences from the MENALINKS programme, he emphasized the need for smart grids, regulatory innovation, and collaboration across sectors to unlock the full potential of renewable integration in the MENA region.
IRSEC’X stage, session 3: Renewable Energy for Power-To-X Applications: Eddy Jalbout (Fraunhofer IEG) shared recent research results from his paper titled “Sector Coupling and Power-to-X Integration: Enhancing Flexibility and Reducing Costs in Future Energy Systems,” outlining how integrating sector coupling and power-to-X (PtX) can make future energy systems more flexible and cost-effective. Using Türkiye as a case study, he compared different hydrogen export strategies and showed that integrated, sector-coupled systems offer the greatest benefits—minimizing costs and curtailment while supporting both domestic and export needs.
Networking and exchange
Beyond formal sessions, MENALINKS and its delegations were leveraging numerous networking opportunities throughout the PtX Summit. These interactions fostered direct exchanges between policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, private sector companies, and technical experts, paving the way for potential new partnerships and collaborative initiatives.
MENALINKS’ participation at the World PtX Summit significantly increased the programme’s importance and visibility, all by enabling the broad dissemination of its first results and upcoming publications. The event further fostered valuable new contacts and strengthened existing ones, increasing MENALINKS’ reputation. These outcomes will support ongoing collaboration and further advance the programme’s objectives across the MENA region.
