The Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE) has signed a MoU with the State Grid Corporation of China, SGCC, aimed at supporting the emirate's energy sector as it transitions towards more efficient consumption practices and expands its clean and renewable energy.
The agreement outlines the role of both parties in implementing the strategic partnership signed by the leadership of the two countries in 2018, where the energy sector was a central theme, in addition to economic, trade, and cultural cooperation, as well as collaboration to boost technological innovation, said the statement from DoE.
It calls for collaboration in conducting feasibility studies to render the energy system more efficient, developing facilities for producing and storing clean energy that complements the existing power grid, implementing the gas-insulated underground cables and powerlines project, connecting the power grid with those of other emirates and countries around the region, improving the overall quality of electrical grids, utilizing district cooling systems, establishing and developing advanced infrastructure for meters, and providing training to develop skillsets among the workforce operating the electric grid.
The MoU lays the groundwork for future partnerships, where the DoE acts as a catalyst for the energy sector across the emirate, in cooperation with companies owned by the State Grid Corporation of China, stated DoE Chairman Awaidha Murshed Al Marar after inking the deal with Kou Wei, Executive Chairman of the SGCC at the 24th World Energy Congress.
This, in turn, promotes collaboration and the exchange of expertise, in line with the initiatives launched in Abu Dhabi to promote energy efficiency, innovation, and a strategic shift towards clean and renewable energy sources, he noted.
Al Marar asserted that Abu Dhabi was dedicated to building an advanced energy sector that is rooted in efficiency, environmental and financial sustainability, and supply security.
"Forging strategic ties with international pioneers in the energy sector boosts Abu Dhabi’s ability to achieve its strategic aspirations, and implement initiatives to transform the sector," he noted.
Wei said: "With the UAE’s strategic goals and ambitions for the energy sector on one hand, and China’s expertise and advanced technology on the other, there is always room for collaboration among the two countries to achieve their common objectives."
"The MoU we have signed is a starting point for more joint initiatives and projects in the future," he added.
