According to Mr. Sharif Al Olama, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure for Energy and Petroleum Affairs, the UAE is making progress in implementing its hydrogen-related plans, as well as in collaborating with international partners to achieve a balanced energy mix in line with its environmental preservation commitments.
Mr. Al Olama stated during his participation as the UAE’s representative in a virtual roundtable with Hamburg on green hydrogen that the UAE’s efforts stretched beyond its borders to over 30 countries, which the Emirate supported by providing clean energy sources with a total generation capacity of over 10 gigawatts and investing over $20 billion.
As part of the global efforts to adopt hydrogen as energy, it has become the next-generation future energy source, he added, with the coming period focusing on lowering the cost of hydrogen, limiting carbon emissions from its production, and increasing safety to facilitate its global use.
Mr. Al Olama explained that total hydrogen demand would reach 330 to 380 terawatts per hour by 2030, and 870 to 1,600 terawatts per hour by 2050, based on nine countries’ hydrogen strategies.
“In the UAE, we are open to all energy sources that align with our natural resources and infrastructure, and keen to diversify our energy sources and maintain the balance between all energy sources, to support the UAE’s sustainable development and green economy,” Mr. Al Olama said.
“In that context, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai launched the UAE’s first National Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to boost the consumption efficiency of individuals and corporates by 40 percent, and increase the contribution of clean energy in the total energy mix to 50 percent, underscoring the UAE’s efforts to achieve energy sustainability and balance between economic needs and environmental objectives,” he added.
Mr. Al Olama also emphasized the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure’s desire to share knowledge through establishing international partnerships, such as the Emirati-German Energy Partnership, noting that the UAE recently joined Mubadala, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), and the Abu Dhabi Holding Company’s Abu Dhabi Hydrogen Alliance (ADQ).
