Minister Habeck and Minister Al Jaber continue dialogue for scaling up hydrogen trade

Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), visited Germany to meet Dr. Robert Habeck, Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, and German business leaders in Berlin. The aim of the visit was to intensify the bilateral dialogue and to strengthen joint efforts to establish an integrated value chain for green hydrogen. During their bilateral meetings, both ministers agreed to support bilateral hydrogen projects and intensified cooperation in other areas. In a roundtable discussion with German business representatives the ministers discussed concrete next steps for scaling up hydrogen production and trade between the UAE and Germany.

During Minister Habeck’s recent visit to the UAE on March 21, 2022, the UAE and Germany concluded several cooperation agreements with the aim of establishing a comprehensive hydrogen value chain. ADNOC, the UAE’s national oil and gas utility, and its German partners Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies, Uniper are developing a supply chain for green hydrogen shipments using LOHC-carriers. Together with Hambuger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) and Abu Dhabi Ports, ADNOC will also pilot test cargo shipments from the UAE to Hamburg. The first ammonia test cargo shipment from the UAE is expected to arrive at the Port of Hamburg in the second half of 2022. To support the revision of UAE’s climate and hydrogen strategies and promote joint research and development, a scientific cooperation between the German Fraunhofer Society and the UAE Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure (MOEI) was founded.

Germany and the UAE are celebrating their 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year. The two countries have been cooperating closely on hydrogen and renewable energy in the context of the Emirati-German Energy Partnership since 2017. The Energy Partnership is an initiative by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and the UAE Ministry for Energy and Infrastructure, facilitated by Guidehouse and the German-Emirati Joint Council for Industry and Commerce (AHK). Under the umbrella of the Energy Partnership, the Bilateral Task Force on Hydrogen and Synthetic Fuels was established and convened the first working group meetings on March 14, 2022 in Dubai. The Bilateral Hydrogen Task Force brings together policy makers, private industry and research institutes providing a forum to discuss challenges of green hydrogen market uptake.

The Emirati-German Energy Partnership continuously supports strategic initiatives and bilateral projects. German companies are actively involved in several hydrogen projects in the UAE. In May 2021, DEWA and Siemens Energy inaugurated the first green hydrogen plant of the MENA-region. A consortium including partners from both countries, including Siemens Energy, Lufthansa, Masdar and TotalEnergies, is currently developing a project for the production of hydrogen-based e-fuels including synthetic kerosene for the aviation sector. Other promising industry-scale projects are under preparation with support of the Energy Partnership.

The UAE pursue the expansion of renewable energy and the scale-up of hydrogen production as part of their economic diversification strategy. By 2030, the UAE target a 25% market share in major low-carbon hydrogen import markets, including Germany. Germany supports the UAE’s strategic initiative to reach net-zero emission by 2050 and collaborates with the UAE in preparation of the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP) hosted by the UAE in 2023. A strategic dialogue between UAE and Germany in the run up of COP28 will intensify collaboration on climate change.