Germany and UAE add Hydrogen Task Force to their bilateral Energy Partnership

Dubai, November 2, 2021

Today, His Excellency State Secretary Andreas Feicht of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) and His Excellency Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a Joint Declaration of Intent to establish a bilateral Task Force on Hydrogen and Synthetic Fuels under the umbrella of the successful Emirati-German Energy Partnership. The goal is to intensify cooperation between the two countries in the area of green hydrogen.

To reach its 2030 climate target, the German Government identified an annual need for carbon neutral hydrogen of up to 110 TWh by 2030, the majority of which will have to be imported. Given the very favorable conditions for renewable energy in the UAE, the country is well positioned to become a major green hydrogen exporter. His Excellency Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei highlighted the close and trustful cooperation of the Emirati-German Partnership especially in the are of hydrogen: “The continued close bilateral cooperation between our two countries will help accelerate the development of green hydrogen and synthetic fuels. The UAE harness a number of prevailing factors, including cheap solar energy capabilities that will allow us to become an international hub for hydrogen production, through which we aim to support Germany’s decarbonization goals.” State Secretary Feicht underlined the need for strong partnerships to achieve Germany’s energy transition goals: “The United Arab Emirates are an ideal partner for Germany to move closer to our ambitious decarbonisation goals. Building up production capacities for green hydrogen for scaling up an international hydrogen value chain is an important corner stone of the energy transition.”

Germany’s National Hydrogen Strategy regards hydrogen as a key element for accomplishing an energy transition in line with the targets of the Paris Agreement. Hydrogen also represents a major element of the economic diversification and sustainability strategies of the UAE. With the help of the new task force, Germany and the UAE are pursuing a coordinated, well-informed and fast scale-up of hydrogen technologies in both countries.

German and Emirati companies are already working together closely on several hydrogen projects in the UAE. In May 2021, the first green electrolyser pilot of the Middle East and North Africa was inaugurated in Dubai as a joint project between Siemens Energy and the Dubai Electricity & Water Authority. Several other projects for green hydrogen and synthetic fuels are currently in the pipeline.

The Emirati-German Hydrogen Task Force brings together stakeholders from government, industry and research of Germany and the UAE. It will be governed by a high-level steering committee. Together, the partners will work towards the implementation of projects and the creation of a common understanding on the necessary framework conditions for the scale-up of green hydrogen production.

The implementation of the task force and the broader Emirati-German Energy Partnership are being supported by the German Emirati Joint Council for Industry & Commerce (AHK) in Abu Dhabi and Guidehouse. The signing ceremony took place in Dubai and was accompanied by statements from Minister Al Mazrouei and State Secretary Feicht. H.E. Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, and H.E. Peter Fischer, German Ambassador to the UAE, were also in attendance. The signing ceremony was followed by a networking opportunity for company representatives from the UAE and Germany.