UAE-China clean energy partnership: Jereh to build SMRs, 100,000 tpa anode plant and battery recycling hub
UAE-China clean energy partnership: UAE Ministry of Investment and Jereh Group agree to invest in SMRs, a 100,000 tpa anode plant and lithium battery recycling.
The UAE Ministry of Investment has signed a strategic deal with China’s Jereh Group to establish a clean energy and industrial platform in the Emirates, marking a new phase in the UAE-China clean energy partnership. The agreement, inked in Beijing during Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed’s visit, commits Jereh to multi-year investments across industrial and energy sectors in the UAE. Officials said the collaboration will include small modular reactor technology, large-scale anode manufacturing and lithium battery recycling capabilities.
Agreement Signed During Sheikh Khaled’s Beijing Visit
The memorandum of understanding was formalised in the presence of senior Emirati and Chinese officials as part of a wider diplomatic and economic engagement in Beijing. The signing followed a series of pacts announced during Sheikh Khaled’s trip, which aimed to deepen trade and investment links between the two countries. UAE ministers characterised the move as part of a broader push to attract technology-led foreign direct investment to the Emirates.
Technical Scope: SMRs, Anode Production and Battery Recycling
Under the terms, Jereh will develop small modular reactor (SMR) technology in partnership with UAE stakeholders, a sector the country is exploring to diversify its energy mix. The deal also envisages construction of an anode material manufacturing facility with an output capacity of 100,000 tonnes per year, designed to serve regional battery supply chains. In addition, Jereh will establish lithium battery recycling operations to capture value from end-of-life batteries and support circularity in the electric-vehicle and storage markets.
Invest UAE to Facilitate Jereh’s Local Expansion
The Ministry of Investment, through its Invest UAE platform, has committed to facilitating Jereh’s market entry and operational scale-up inside the Emirates. Officials said the ministry will assist with regulatory engagement, infrastructure coordination and investor facilitation to position the country as a cross-border investment hub. Ministry under-secretary Mohammad Alhawi highlighted the UAE’s infrastructure, regulatory framework and strategic location as factors that make the Emirates an attractive base for industrial expansion.
Economic Scale and Bilateral Trade Momentum
The agreement forms part of a wider surge in UAE-China economic activity that officials say is reshaping bilateral trade patterns. Government data cited by UAE ministers show China as a leading source of foreign direct investment into the Emirates and point to non-oil trade reaching $111.5 billion in 2025. The trade relationship is expected to continue growing, with official forecasts aiming for bilateral trade to approach $300 billion by 2030.
Private Sector Rationale and Jereh’s Strategy
Jereh Group’s executive leadership framed the partnership as a strategic expansion into a market the company views as central to its industrial ambitions. The Yantai-based firm said the UAE provides a platform to accelerate manufacturing, energy technology deployment and integrated industrial services. Company statements emphasised the synergy between Jereh’s engineering capabilities and the UAE’s push to develop advanced energy and circular industrial hubs.
Link to UAE Net-Zero and Regional Energy Security Goals
UAE policy documents and officials have repeatedly identified diversification of energy sources and industrial decarbonisation as core to the country’s net-zero-by-2050 strategy. The Jereh partnership is presented as complementary to these targets by adding low-carbon power options and domestic battery supply-chain capacity. Observers note that developing recycling and anode production locally can reduce import dependence and strengthen resilience in the region’s clean-energy industries.
Alignment with Global Renewable and Efficiency Targets
International initiatives to expand renewable capacity and improve energy efficiency provide a backdrop for the deal, which intersects with global calls to rapidly scale low-carbon technologies. UAE officials framed the agreement as both a commercial investment and a contribution to broader climate objectives, including reducing lifecycle emissions from batteries. The combination of SMR development and circular battery processes is being positioned as an integrated approach to cleaner power and industrial sustainability.
The UAE-China clean energy partnership announced in Beijing advances both nations’ economic and environmental agendas while reinforcing the UAE’s position as a gateway for technology-led foreign investment. By combining nuclear innovation, large-scale anode manufacturing and battery recycling, the deal aims to build regional capacity, enhance energy security and support the Emirates’ long-term decarbonisation strategy.