The UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure collaborates closely with its local and international partners to advance sustainable energy and speed up the transition to low-carbon fuels. The Ministry recently unveiled the National Sustainable Aviation Fuel Roadmap that aims to establish the UAE as a leading hub for sustainable aviation fuel in the region and will be instrumental in realizing the nation’s commitment to carbon neutrality, enhancing fuel efficiency, and supporting the continued growth of a critical sector that plays a pivotal role in driving national economies and addressing global climate challenges.
The National Sustainable Aviation Fuel Roadmap was recently made public by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure with the goal of accelerating the decarbonization of the aviation industry. The strategy helps the UAE become a regional centre for sustainable aviation fuel by helping the nation meet its goals for carbon neutrality, improving fuel efficiency, and sustaining it in one of the key industries supporting national economies.
The roadmap was developed based on a number of key tenets, including accelerating the aviation sector’s decarbonization, making the nation a regional hub for low-carbon aviation fuel, fostering international cooperation in this crucial area, and developing local capabilities to increase local value in this sector. Through the state’s membership in ICAO and support of initiatives pertaining to renewable fuels and energy in other nations, it also quickens the transfer of technology and innovation while aiding in the worldwide transition to low-carbon fuels.
H.E. Engineer Youssef Al Ali, Assistant Undersecretary for the Electricity, Water, and Future Energy Sector, H.E. Engineer Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure for Energy and Petroleum Affairs, H.E. Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, and other officials involved in the sector, as well as leaders of the national airlines and major companies operating, were present when the announcement was made.
On this occasion, H.E. Engineer Sharif Al Olama said: “Thanks to the directions of the wise leadership led by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, and his brother, HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to promote future solutions to global climate challenges, the latest of which was the announcement of the UAE Net Zero 2050 strategic initiative, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure is keen to cooperate closely with its partners and proceed according to the existing plans aimed at expanding the areas of environmentally friendly energy use and launching quality initiatives and ambitious projects, especially those related to renewable (clean) energy aimed at supporting the country’s goals and future vision.” The ministry collaborates closely with its local, national, and international partners to advance climate neutrality, achieve sustainability in the energy sector, and speed up its transition.
H.E. Saif Mohamed Al Suwaidi, Director General of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, said: “The civil aviation sector in the UAE supports all strategic environmental goals set by ICAO. The decisions of the 41 General Assembly of the organization came to stress the international aviation community’s commitment to the ambitious long-term goal of net zero 2050 strategic initiative. Accordingly, we must all work hard to prepare the infrastructure for our sector in order to achieve that goal. For this reason, the low-carbon and sustainable fuel comes on our list of priorities with the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure. The adoption and launch of the sustainable fuel roadmap are very important in the path of transition to clean energy, cutting down international emissions, and supporting the sector in a balanced manner so that it continues to grow and contribute effectively to reducing the negative effects of climate change.”
“The UAE plans to achieve net-zero domestic carbon emissions by 2050, investing billions in the development of renewable energy sources that will meet half of its demands.”
The National Sustainable Aviation Fuel Roadmap is one of the ambitious initiatives that will help the UAE’s pursuit of global leadership in energy, particularly clean energy, and the attainment of its goals for the next fifty years, according to engineer Youssef Al Ali. Additionally, it advances the nation’s goals for sustainable development, which call for collaboration between public and private sector organisations to implement creative solutions and guarantee the best possible use of cutting-edge technology in the run-up to the UAE Centennial in 2071.
The UAE, a significant oil exporter, plans to achieve net-zero domestic carbon emissions by 2050 by investing billions in the development of renewable energy sources that will meet half of its demands. According to Olivier Bordes, regional director for France’s EDF Renewables, the Al Dhafra project, located in the desert 35 kilometres south of Abu Dhabi, would supply enough energy for 160,000 homes in the country of 10 million people. “It started producing its first kilowatt hours of electricity at the end of last year and should officially go into service before the summer,” Bordes told AFP. Once fully operational, the project will produce up to 2.1 gigawatts, he added.
The project, which state-owned Emirati firms TAQA and Masdar characterise as the largest single-site solar plant in the world, is 60% controlled by them. A partnership between EDF Renewables and China’s Jinko Power Technology owns the remaining portion. The massive, double-sided solar power facility, which rotates its panels to face the sun, is located on a location that is more than 20 square kilometres in size (nearly 5,000 acres).
France’s Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire commended the “extremely strong cooperation” between Paris and Abu Dhabi in the area of renewable energy when visiting the site recently. Le Maire stated that he intended to “support” the Gulf oil-producing nations on their “decarbonisation” journey while on a regional visit that included stops in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Masdar, a company focused on renewable energy, said that French and Emirati firms have “partnered in the development, investment and operation of over 6.2 gigawatts of clean and renewable energy programmes across the globe”. Businesses from both countries have also “mobilised over $6B in investment, displacing some 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually”, Masdar said in a statement.
The two parties will work to provide “concrete, beneficial benefits” on biodiversity conservation and climate-oriented project adaption. “This initiative builds on the long-standing partnership between the UAE and France to take advantage of practical, commercial opportunities for low-carbon growth that will accelerate the energy transition and promote climate action and sustainable economic development in both our countries and across the globe,” said H.E Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and President-Designate for Cop28, and the UAE’s special envoy on climate change. “Leveraging our combined technological and energy expertise, we will intensify our efforts to promote renewable and zero carbon energies to decarbonise economies and, in particular, hard-to-abate sectors,” he added.
As the UAE prepares to host Cop28, “we are intent on making it a Cop of action and a Cop for all”, said Dr. Al Jaber, who is also MD and group chief executive of ADNOC and chairman of Masdar. “We are extending an open invitation to the world to join us in constructive efforts to raise ambition, move from deliberation to delivery and achieve the central goal of the Paris Agreement to keep 1.5[°C above pre-industrial levels target] alive,” he added.
“The UAE and France are joining efforts to ensure the successful outcome of COP28 for the benefit of the UAE, the wider region, and the international community.”
In order to make Cop28 a tremendous success for the UAE as well as the rest of the region and the world, the French government and its business sector will help the UAE, according to Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Finance and the Economy of France. “I want to make very clear to my Emirati friends, you can count on the support of France,” Mr. Le Maire, who also met Dr. Al Jaber told top business executives and investors at the Abu Dhabi Global Market.
At the Cop28 climate conference, presidents of state, executives from big businesses and financial institutions, and representatives from civil society will gather to assess progress made since the 2015 Paris Agreement. The newest effort by the UAE and France expands on their current collaboration in the field of clean and renewable energy. Through their activities, the firms have attracted more than $6B in investment and eliminated nearly 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide yearly. “This targeted programme will leverage synergies between public and private sectors from both countries to accelerate the implementation of impactful projects of clean energy development for transportation,” Mr. Le Maire said. “I am very happy [about] this new illustration of France-UAE strategic partnership and our common objective to raise ambitions towards Cop28,” he added.
