- Visiting Abu Dhabi, Grant Shapps signs agreement to facilitate sharing of knowledge and expertise in energy, in a move that could unlock significant investment in UK firms and boost energy security, sustainability and economic growth
- Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) includes agreement to cooperate on hydrogen technology, which has already attracted significant UAE investment in Teesside
- the UAE have also announced a partnership with the UK-launched Breakthrough Agenda ahead of their hosting of COP28 in Dubai in November and December 2023
The UK and UAE governments have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will help facilitate the sharing of technical knowledge, advice, skills and expertise, opening up new avenues for cooperation on energy security and climate, while boosting jobs and investment in the UK.
The Clean Energy MoU, which today was signed by the UK Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps and the UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, His Excellency Suhail Mohammed Al Mazrouei, during the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, will further reinforce the robust economic links between the 2 countries developed in the nations’ 2018 MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Energy.
The MoU has been expanded to encompass the full scope of bilateral co-operation, including the new low carbon super fuel hydrogen. This builds on ADNOC – the UAE’s largest energy company – taking a 25% stake in the design stage of BP’s blue hydrogen project, H2Teesside, last year. It also acknowledges the progress the UAE has made so far on climate action, their ambition for clean energy investment and their call for finding energy solutions with like-minded partners.
Additionally, the UAE has also announced a ground-breaking move to collaborate with the UK-launched Breakthrough Agenda, a world leading commitment to make clean technologies the most affordable and accessible option globally by 2030. This Agenda was first launched at the UK hosted COP26 in Glasgow and comes ahead of the UAE’s COP28 presidency year and hosting of the climate conference in Dubai in November and December 2023. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), headquartered in Abu Dhabi, has helped implement the Agenda.
Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps said:
The UK is immensely proud of its longstanding relationship with the UAE. Today’s latest agreements provide further evidence that not only are we are strengthening our energy security and lowering bills for consumers in the long term, we’re unlocking huge opportunities for investment in British expertise and jobs in the process.
International cooperation on energy and climate with close partners like the UAE is vital and as they take centre stage as hosts of COP28 later this year, they will have our full support every step of the way.
