German Economy Minister Robert Habeck was in the United Arab Emirates on Monday as part of his Middle East trip aimed at finding alternative sources of energy that would help the EU’s biggest economy reduce its reliance on Russian oil and gas supplies.
Habeck, who is accompanied by a high-ranking business delegation, said that German firms had signed five agreements related to hydrogen research and development with firms in the UAE.
German energy companies Hydrogenious and Uniper, along with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Japan’s JERA will enter a joint demonstration project for hydrogen transport, the German Economy Ministry said in a statement.
The agreement aims to build a supply chain of hydrogen produced by renewable energy from the UAE to Wilhelmshaven in Germany, based on Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHC) technology.
The UAE, a major producer and exporter of hydrocarbons, is repositioning itself as a hub for green hydrogen, which could help Germany meet its longer-term goal to switch to cleaner energy sources.
Green hydrogen is generated using renewable energy as opposed to fossil fuels. Almost all hydrogen on the market at present is produced using the latter.
Habeck’s visit comes as Berlin scrambles to reduce its heavy reliance on Russian energy and increase pressure on President Vladimir Putin over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
More LNG to cut reliance on Russian energy
The minister was in Qatar over the weekend for the first leg of his Gulf tour.
During the visit, Germany and Qatar agreed upon a long-term energy partnership to help cut reliance on Russian gas.
Qatar is one of the three largest exporters of liquified natural gas (LNG).
Berlin plans to bring LNG onboard ships into the country. But there are no terminals to receive them because of the legacy dependency on pipeline gas.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced plans to build two new LNG terminals but they are unlikely to be ready before 2026.
Berlin has been sharply criticized for resisting an immediate embargo on Russian energy supplies as a means of choking off Moscow’s foreign earnings.
Germany believes a boycott could cause major economic damage as well as huge rises in energy prices.
sri/wmr (dpa, Reuters)
Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-uae-strike-green-energy-agreements-amid-russia-tensions/a-61200327?maca=en-rss-en-ger-1023-xml-atom