Mustafa Abdel Azim (Dubai)
During their participation in the COP28 Conference of the Parties, Emirati companies operating in the energy field recorded a prominent presence, which reflected their ability to play a vital role in supporting efforts to accelerate the achievement of an orderly, responsible, fair and logical transition in the energy sector, and their support for the initiatives of the “Global Pledge for Renewable Energy and Efficiency.” Energy,” the “Oil and Gas Sector Emissions Reduction Charter,” and the “Global Emissions Reduction Accelerator” issued by the conference presidency.
These companies succeeded, through their effective and influential participation, in translating the vision and strategy of the United Arab Emirates to reach climate neutrality by 2050, and putting their own mark on the path of keeping pace with national and global efforts to confront the effects of climate change, and preserving the possibility of achieving the 1.5 degree Celsius goal.
Since the launch of the conference hosted by the UAE in Expo City Dubai, national companies have launched many innovative initiatives and projects and announced their plans and strategies related to climate action, in addition to concluding a group of important partnerships with governments and companies, to develop renewable energy projects and explore opportunities for producing and supplying hydrogen. Green, developing low-carbon solutions, in addition to expanding the production of bio- and sustainable fuels, to contribute effectively to accelerating the energy transition and achieving climate neutrality by 2050.
The COP28 Conference of the Parties formed an inspiring platform for the private sector to showcase its capabilities and expertise, and confirm its commitment to supporting climate action, as companies can benefit from their strengths and resources to promote collective climate goals, and provide the required assistance in finding solutions through all the pillars of the conference’s action plan, which include: accelerating the achievement of An orderly, responsible, fair and rational energy transition, developing climate finance mechanisms, protecting people and nature, improving lives and livelihoods, and ensuring everyone is fully included.
“Masdar”..global agreements and partnerships
As a leading Emirati company in the field of clean energy, and one of the fastest companies investing in the renewable energy sector in the world, Masdar grabbed the spotlight at the COP28 Conference of the Parties, through its pioneering initiatives and imprints in developing projects in more than 40 countries across the world. The six continents, within its global investment portfolio, whether in operation or under construction, estimated at more than 30 billion US dollars, stand at the forefront of efforts aimed at developing and disseminating renewable energy and green hydrogen technologies to meet global sustainability challenges.
During the COP28 Conference of the Parties, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company “Masdar” announced its plans to develop 10 gigawatts of renewable energy projects in six countries in sub-Saharan Africa, as part of supporting the green manufacturing initiative in Africa that was launched during (COP28). Which aims to accelerate and scale green industries and companies across the continent.
Masdar's growth plans will contribute to optimally utilizing Africa's clean energy potential and enhancing transformation efforts in the energy sector. This comes in the wake of Masdar’s commitment to raise and catalyze financing of US$10 billion to provide 10 gigawatts of clean energy in Africa by 2030.
Masdar had announced the signing of partnership agreements with entities from the government and private sectors in six African countries, which included the signing of a concession agreement with the Ministry of Energy and Water in the Republic of Angola to develop a solar photovoltaic project with a capacity of 150 MW in the Kibungo region, as part of the first phase of cooperation between the two governments. Emirati and Angolan countries to develop renewable energy projects with a capacity of 2 gigawatts, which is the first renewable energy project to be developed within the framework of strategic cooperation between the two countries.
Explore opportunities
During the conference, Masdar also signed a joint agreement with the Port of Amsterdam, SkyNRG, and Zenith Energy Terminals to conduct a feasibility study to develop a supply chain for liquefied green hydrogen produced by Masdar and supply it to the Port of Amsterdam.
Masdar has announced that it aims to produce 100 gigawatts of renewable energy and one million tons of green hydrogen annually by 2030, as the company is currently participating in a number of projects to produce green hydrogen.
Masdar also announced the signing of an agreement with RWE, a German leader in the field of renewable energy, to invest in a project worth £11 billion, which includes Masdar’s acquisition of a 49% stake in the Dogger Bank South wind power plants project with a capacity of 3 gigawatts. , a subsidiary of RWE.
Green hydrogen wind power plants
Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company announced the signing of a joint development agreement with the Jordanian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to develop a 1-gigawatt wind power plant with a battery system for energy storage, and a memorandum of understanding to study the feasibility of developing a green hydrogen plant in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Last February, Masdar launched the 200 MW Baynounah Solar Power Plant, in partnership with Baynounah Solar Energy Company and the Finnish Investment and Asset Management Group “Talleri”, which is the largest clean energy project in Jordan.
Masdar and Verbond, leaders in the field of clean energy, also announced their plans to study the possibility of developing one of the largest green hydrogen production plants in Europe in central Spain. By harnessing the abundant renewable resources in the Castilla-La Mancha region, the station will produce green hydrogen to cover the needs of the industrial sector in Spain and Central Europe. The study will examine the extent to which the green hydrogen produced at the station can avoid the release of up to one million tons of carbon emissions annually, which is equivalent to removing about 700,000 cars from the roads annually.
The green hydrogen station is expected to enter into operation by the end of this decade, and will cover the needs of the industrial sector and contribute to decarbonizing the heavy transport sector in Spain, as well as in Central Europe.
cooperation
During the Conference of the Parties, the governments of the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Kazakhstan signed an agreement under which the two parties will cooperate in developing the renewable energy sector in Kazakhstan, through the development of a large-scale wind power plant with a capacity of 1 GW.
In addition, a joint development agreement was signed between the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company “Masdar”, which will lead the project, and the companies “W Solar”, “Kazak Green Power”, and the Investment and Development Fund of the Republic of Kazakhstan, to develop a wind energy project with a capacity of 1 gigawatt.
Masdar also signed an initial cooperation agreement with the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy to develop green infrastructure projects on the Greek island of Paros. With the aim of accelerating its transition towards clean energy, within the framework of the “Green Islands” initiative in Greece. This agreement comes in the context of the firm commitment of the UAE and the friendly Republic of Greece to supporting climate action and enhancing international cooperation in order to achieve the desired climate goals.
“ADNOC”… developing low-carbon solutions and accelerating emissions reduction processes
In the context of its ambitious strategy to drive progress in efforts to reduce the emissions of its operations globally, and its plans to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, ADNOC, the reliable and responsible provider of low-emission energy, and the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan “SOCAR” announced in conjunction with “COP28”, Signing a strategic cooperation agreement for the potential development of low-emission energy technologies.
This agreement comes in the wake of ADNOC and SOCAR joining the founding signatories of the Oil and Gas Emissions Reduction Charter, which was launched during the Conference of the Parties (COP28). The charter sets common goals: stopping routine gas flaring, reducing methane emissions to zero by 2030, and achieving climate neutrality by 2050.
According to the agreement, ADNOC and SOCAR will explore cooperation opportunities in the field of blue hydrogen, carbon management and geothermal technologies that can contribute to accelerating the decarbonization of energy systems in the UAE, Azerbaijan and other key markets to support their ambitions to achieve climate neutrality. .
It is noteworthy that ADNOC has initially allocated 55 billion dirhams ($15 billion) to enhance investment in low-carbon solutions, new energies and emission-reduction technologies as it seeks to achieve its goal of reducing the intensity of carbon emissions by 25% by 2030 and achieving climate neutrality by 2045. ADNOC also intends to double the goal of increasing its carbon capture capacity to reach 10 million tons annually by 2030. It is noteworthy that ADNOC announced last week the start of operations in the first district cooling project using geothermal energy in the Gulf region. In Masdar City.
The first district cooling station using geothermal energy
In conjunction with the COP28 Conference of the Parties, ADNOC and the National Central Cooling Company (Tabreed) announced on December 4th the start of operations in the “G2COOL” project, the first district cooling project using geothermal energy in the Gulf region. The pioneering project aims to reduce emissions from the building cooling system in Masdar City and contribute to diversifying the energy mix in the UAE. It also supports the National Energy Strategy 2050.
The “G2COOL” station produces hot water that exists naturally underground, through two thermal wells, which is passed through an absorption chiller system to produce the chilled water needed by Tabreed’s district cooling network. Chilled water produced from geothermal heat, which represents a source of clean energy, meets 10% of the needs of the Masdar City cooling system.
“Lootah Biofuels” supports the strategy of sustainable transportation and the circular economy
In another contribution that confirms the pivotal role of Emirati companies in supporting energy transformation efforts, Lootah Biofuels Company, a leader in the circular economy through the production of biofuels from used cooking oils, signed a memorandum of understanding with Fathops Energy Company, a Malaysian company specialized in developing energy solutions. Sustainable oils and greases for biofuel production, in order to develop sustainable aviation fuel production and distribution solutions in the Middle East, North Africa and Southeast Asia.
The agreement, which was concluded on the sidelines of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), in the presence of His Excellency Maryam Al Muhairi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the United Arab Emirates, and Nik Nazmi bin Nik Ahmed, Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change of Malaysia, constitutes a map A path of cooperation that includes various initiatives with the aim of developing sustainable fuel for the aviation sector through the use of the latest technologies, and taking advantage of available opportunities to strengthen supply chains.
This partnership comes to meet the growing demand for biofuels in the aviation sector, which aims to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2050, as the sector represents about 3% of the world’s total carbon footprint. These negative impacts are likely to be reduced with the use of sustainable aviation fuel, which will reduce Carbon emissions at the sector level increased by up to 80%, and it is characterized as being an environmentally friendly fuel.
Yousef bin Saeed Lootah, CEO of Lootah Biofuels Company, said: “This strategic partnership with (Fathubs Energy) confirms our commitment to developing sustainable energy solutions for the aviation sector, and contributes to achieving the climate neutrality goals set by the civil aviation sector in the world, and is in line with the goals of The UAE and the vision of its wise leadership. “Leveraging the expertise and technologies of the leading Fathubs Energy Company will contribute to achieving tangible progress in the production and distribution of sustainable aviation fuel, and meeting the growing demand for this sector in the UAE and the rest of the region.”
“Dragon Oil”… 5 initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint
Dragon Oil Company is participating in the COP 28 Conference of the Parties, with five initiatives of great value for environmental action: It aims to reduce the carbon footprint and preserve the environment in compliance with the 17 sustainable development goals of the United Nations. The five initiatives meet the requirements of climate action, and are in line with local and global efforts to protect the planet and achieve environmental sustainability. The company has come a long way in implementing the sustainable development goals, making it among the global companies that have committed to fighting climate change, reducing carbon emissions and serving the communities in which they live. The company has it.
Ali Rashid Al-Jarwan, CEO of Dragon Oil, said that the oil and gas sector is one of the sectors that releases the most carbon emissions in the world. Therefore, the company has developed a solid strategy with international standards and specifications to reduce emissions and achieve sustainability.
Decarbonization Charter
During the conference, Dragon Oil signed the “Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter,” confirming DO’s commitment to achieving sustainable development goals and reducing carbon emissions in the atmosphere through decarbonization of the oil and gas industry.
This step represents a clear testimony that Dragon Oil Company realizes the importance of increasing measures to support the world’s movement towards a future free of greenhouse gas emissions,” adding, “Our company is one of the first companies in the world to adopt a policy of stopping gas burning in its fields, as it succeeded in stopping burning permanently in Egypt and Iraq during 2025, while in Turkmenistan, Dragon Oil will stop burning gas completely by 2027.”
“ENOC”… the first integrated gas station at the “Cop 28” site.
In line with the commitment to consolidate the position of Dubai and the UAE as a global model for sustainability and green transformation, ENOC Group opened the group’s first green hydrogen station within the future ENOC service station in Expo City Dubai.
The future service station is currently the only station in the region that provides green hydrogen and hydrocarbon fuels (gasoline and diesel), in addition to electric charging stations. The new green hydrogen station, a joint project between ENOC Group and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, supports the National Hydrogen Strategy 2050, and the country’s hosting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), which attracts thousands of global climate leaders. The opening of the new green hydrogen station represents a very important step that consolidates the ENOC Group’s cooperation with the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority to use hydrogen in transportation and support the Dubai Green Mobility Initiative 2030, in addition to developing the hydrogen economy in the UAE.
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