The UAE is a major player in the global hydrogen economy

Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure for Energy and Petroleum Affairs, Engineer Sherif Al Olama, stressed that “developing energy storage capacity is essential to achieving the ambitious goal associated with tripling renewable energy production by 2030, which is one of the goals of the historic (UAE agreement) in (COP28).” Pointing out that the UAE is a major player in the global hydrogen economy, and that the country is witnessing promising developments in integrating energy storage systems.

The scientists said, during his participation in the ministerial meeting on energy initiatives for the “COP29 Conference of the Parties”, hosted by Azerbaijan, that with the integration of more renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy, which are characterized by their volatile nature, the presence of strong storage systems becomes necessary to maintain the stability of energy supplies. Global, noting that according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), achieving global renewable energy goals requires a significant increase in storage capacity, with investments expected to reach $1.2 trillion by 2030.

He added that tripling renewable energy capacity requires adding about 11,000 gigawatts of renewable energy globally by 2030, which requires a huge increase in storage capacity from the current 30 gigawatts to about 620 gigawatts, which reflects the size of the required expansion.

He pointed out that the UAE is witnessing promising developments in integrating storage systems, such as the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai, which is one of the largest solar parks in the world, which includes battery storage solutions that allow the use of clean energy even after sunset, which is in line with The International Energy Agency forecasts that hybrid renewable systems, such as solar systems with storage, will account for about 40% of new renewable projects globally by 2030, and that without sufficient storage we risk wasting up to 30% of renewable energy produced by 2030, Due to current limitations in infrastructure.

Scientists pointed out that storage plays an important role in reducing carbon emissions, as the International Energy Agency estimates that decarbonizing the global energy sector by 2030 requires reducing emissions by 60%.

As part of his participation in the session “Accelerating the deployment of clean hydrogen by 2030 to achieve mid-century goals,” the scientists pointed out that the UAE has set ambitious plans to achieve climate goals by 2050.

He added that the National Hydrogen Strategy 2050 will make the UAE a major player in the global hydrogen economy, by taking advantage of its abundant natural resources, including natural gas, and carbon capture and storage capabilities (CCS), as it aims to produce 1.4 million metric tons of low-carbon hydrogen. Annually by 2031, with production rising to 15 million tons by 2050, emphasizing the role of the strategy in removing carbon from difficult sectors such as heavy industries, transportation and aviation, in addition to positioning the UAE as a leading source of hydrogen to European and Asian markets.

He explained that the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 aims to reduce emissions to reach climate neutrality in the electricity and water sector by 2050, raise the contribution of renewable energy to three-fold by 2030, and raise the total installed capacity of clean energy to 19.8 gigawatts by 2030, in addition to raising the contribution of electricity generation. Clean energy by 2030, to 32% to ensure that we stay on track to reduce the effects of climate change, which will result in a significant reduction in carbon emissions, and make the UAE one of the countries with the lowest emissions in the world.