UAE to Produce 19.8GW of Clean Energy by 2030, Says Minister

The UAE is set to generate a total capacity of 19.8GW of clean energy by 2030, Suhail bin Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy, and Infrastructure, told a global audience of energy leaders at opening of ADIPEC 2023, which convened today under the theme of ‘Decarbonising. Faster. Together.’

Speaking at ADIPEC’s ministerial panel on the subject of ‘Fast Tracking the Energy Transition’, Al Mazrouei said that having one of the fastest-growing clean energy industries in the world, the UAE is set to generate a total capacity of 19.8GW of clean energy by 2030.

“In addition, the UAE seeks to become a leading producer and supplier of low-carbon hydrogen, working towards producing 1.4 million metric tonnes of low-carbon hydrogen per annum by 2031 and 15 million metric tonnes per annum by 2050,” the Minister said and affirmed that international collaboration was crucial to addressing energy challenges, according to Emirates News Agency (WAM).

Tayba Al Hashemi, Chair of ADIPEC 2023 and CEO of ADNOC Offshore, said that by 2030, the world will be home to an additional half a billion people, demanding more energy every year. At the same time, the global challenge of climate change calls for urgent, game-changing solutions to eliminate emissions.

Role for All

Every government, industry, business, and individual have a role to play in decarbonising quicker, and creating the future of energy, faster, while safeguarding energy security and ensuring nobody is left behind, he said.

“Decarbonising, faster, together, is not just the theme of ADIPEC 2023, it is a rallying call to industry to work together to transform, decarbonise and future-proof our industry. We want to accelerate the innovation and tangible actions needed to enable a lower-carbon and higher-growth future for the world,” Hashemi added.

President and Chief Executive Officer of Aramco Amin H Nasser said that they believe energy security and sustainability can co-exist.

“We remain committed to helping supply the world’s growing energy needs as we also expand our efforts to develop lower-carbon solutions that will provide future generations with cleaner and more sustainable energy,” he added.

The panel explored how innovative policies and inclusive practices are the key to meeting increasing energy demands and achieving net zero emissions. The panel also agreed on the important role that governments must play in driving both collaboration and investment.

Ministers remarked on the importance of facilitating a just low-carbon future, simultaneously reducing emissions, and driving economic growth.

Addressing the need for pragmatism, Al Mazrouei, said: “We need to keep the politics aside, and as OPEC, work as a technical group”.

Echoing his remarks, Haitham Al Ghais, Secretary General of OPEC, felt that they should have a clear roadmap of where they were going, and how to get there.

Ministers from Turkiye and Romania also discussed the initiatives underway in their respective countries designed to facilitate a transition to a cleaner energy system.

Over four days, ADIPEC 2023 will feature 10 conferences – including a new, hydrogen-focused conference and an expanded strategic decarbonisation conference – that will address a range of themes such as energy security, mobilising finance and investment, and developing a zero-carbon value chain. Across 16 exhibition halls, ADIPEC will gather over 2,200 companies and feature 30 country pavilions and four specialised areas focused on facilitating cross-sector collaboration and game-changing partnerships.