The UAE has signed an agreement with the Netherlands to partner on decarbonizing the energy sector and increasing the use of hydrogen, the Emirates news agency WAM reported on Tuesday.
“There is increasing pressure on current ecosystems to meet the burgeoning demand for energy resources without further eroding the ecosystem,” said the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade, Liesje Schreinemacher, who reportedly attended the signing of the MoU.
The UAE was represented by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Suhail bin Mohammed al-Mazrouei, and the agreement was signed at Dubai’s EXPO 2020.
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The UAE and the Netherlands have been in conversation to identify common interests and create a partnership for decarbonizing the energy sector as part of the Joint Economic Committee.
This includes an export-import corridor between the two countries, which would also act as a gateway to the wider European region, WAM reported.
On March 22, Reuters reported that EU leaders will agree to jointly purchase gas, liquefied natural gas and hydrogen ahead of next winter.
The invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Europe’s top gas supplier, has caused energy prices to soar to record highs and put the EU on a mission to cut Russian gas use this year – a move that will require a jump in imports from other suppliers, Reuters reported.
Recently, the UAE and Austria signed an MoU to work together on advancing hydrogen production capacity in the emirates.
The agreement with Netherlands is also expected to support the Paris Climate Accords and help the countries reach net-zero emissions. The Netherlands is aiming for a 95 percent reduction in emissions by 2050, while the UAE is working towards a net-zero ecosystem by 2050.
Dutch minister Schreinemacher said: “Hydrogen Energy as an alternative to fossil fuel has an important place for both of our countries in our aim to achieve net-zero emissions. I very much welcome being here today to sign this important agreement in an effort to achieve our common goals for the future of our planet,” according to a statement carried by WAM.
At an energy conference earlier in 2022, Mohamed Ibrahim al-Hammadi, chief executive of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, said that the UAE’s Barakah nuclear energy plant has the potential to create one million ton of hydrogen per year.
“This low carbon fuel is essential to transition to a net zero world,” he said.
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