According to Kadri Simson, the UAE, with its plentiful solar electricity, has the potential to become a future exporter of renewable hydrogen to Europe (WAM).
“In addition to scaling up renewable hydrogen in the EU, creating a worldwide hydrogen market that facilitates production and trading is critical for us.” When questioned about prospective EU-UAE cooperation in this sector, Kadri Simson, European Union Commissioner for Energy, remarked, “We need other pioneers throughout the globe who prioritize renewable hydrogen, and UAE with its plentiful solar power and interest in hydrogen has enormous potential in this field.”
“I believe that the UAE is presently developing its own hydrogen policy, similar to the one proposed by the EU last year. Of course, we’re pleased to share our knowledge, particularly in light of our planned proposal for new hydrogen market rules, which we’ll adopt this year.” “It cannot be ruled out that the UAE may export renewable hydrogen to Europe in the future to fulfill expanding demand,” said the official, who was recently in the UAE on an official visit.
Simson’s remarks are timely in light of the UAE’s major initiatives this year, which aim to position the country as a global leader in green hydrogen. The most recent one was announced on Wednesday by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on the creation of a global clean energy powerhouse to lead the charge toward net-zero carbon by 2050.
He stated that the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA), Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala), and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) will collaborate under the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) brand, combining their renewable energy and green hydrogen efforts.
The announcement on Wednesday brings all three partners’ efforts together, integrating their renewable energy and green hydrogen portfolios into Masdar. The new Masdar alliance follows the formation of the Abu Dhabi Hydrogen Alliance in January 2021, which includes Mubadala, ADNOC, and ADQ (TAQA’s primary shareholder), as well as the introduction of a new worldwide renewable energy venture between ADNOC and TAQA on November 17th.
According to the EU official, hydrogen is an energy carrier that can assist decarbonize sectors where it is difficult to do so, such as heavy industry and some forms of transportation.
It can also be utilized as a renewable energy storage solution, which is becoming increasingly crucial as we approach closer to net zero.
“We selected renewable hydrogen as the theme of our high-level event at Expo 2020 Dubai because we see enormous potential in renewable hydrogen globally and the EU hydrogen policy has a clear external component,” said the EU Energy Day. “Because international cooperation is such a vital aspect of our energy policy, we must reach out and discuss issues,” she explained.
“We now have a common goal in the EU and the UAE to become climate neutral by 2050,” the official said of the possibilities of EU-UAE cooperation in other areas of energy. I’m looking forward to seeing the specific preparations for putting this ambitious agenda into action, and I hope this serves as an example for those countries in the region that haven’t yet set net zero as a goal.”
She is particularly glad that the UAE joined the Methane Pledge, which was announced by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Joe Biden, US President, to reduce harmful methane emissions by 30% by 2030, compared to 2020 levels.
“This is a high-priority topic for the EU, and we’d like to collaborate closely [with the UAE] on it.” As the host of COP28, I hope the UAE will push this issue forward. Energy efficiency and renewable energy, particularly solar, are two more viable avenues for collaboration, according to Simson.
During her previous visit to the UAE in January 2020, she spoke with WAM about an EU effort to restore existing houses, which would save 50% of the energy required for heating and cooling in the European housing sector.
“Since then, we’ve initiated a number of measures to make our facilities more energy efficient and sustainable.” We propose extending carbon pricing to the construction sector, which would encourage the use of renewable energy sources. By 2030, we want buildings to use 49 percent renewable energy, and renewable energy in heating and cooling should increase by 1.1 percentage points every year.”
Simson said her recent trip to the UAE was really beneficial and intriguing since she was able to engage in high-level discussions about energy policy with a variety of stakeholders and tour various pavilions at Expo 2020 Dubai, where the focus was on sustainability and renewable energy.
“It was informative,” she remarked, “and it gave me newfound hope for the future.”
