Ministry of Economics and Technology of Federa : The United Arab Emirates and Germany continue dialogue on energy policy

Germany and the UAE look back to a fruitful first year of collaboration within the German-Emirati Energy Partnership. Experts and high-level officials met at the sidelines of the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi for a workshop on 'Power Sector Optimization: Opportunities and Lessons learnt' on the 15th of January. On the next day, the second High-Level Steering Group Meeting of the Energy Partnership determined priority areas for cooperation for the partnership in 2018.

H.E. Rainer Baake, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of the Federal Republic of Germany, and H.E. Dr. Matar Al Neyadi, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Energy of the UAE, opened the workshop and exchanged views on power sector reform in the UAE and Germany.

H.E. Dr. Matar Al-Neyadi said: 'We welcome that distinguished experts from German and Emirati companies and institutions shared insights into the experience with transmission grid operation. This happens against the background of higher shares of variable renewables, cooperation between grid operators and the role of institutions and regulators in both countries' electricity systems.'

During the High-Level Steering Group Meeting, both sides reaffirmed their strong interest in continuing and strengthening energy dialogue.

H.E. Rainer Baake said: 'We could identify the areas of integrating variable renewables, promoting energy efficiency and designing electricity markets and power systems as priority fields of collaboration and dialogue in 2018. We could agree on a number of activities, from industry roundtables and expert workshops, to study tours and delegation visits which are foreseen on these issues.'

In November 2017, two delegations from the UAE were already welcomed in Germany for study tours on e-mobility and sustainable transport and energy efficiency.

The UAE has set itself ambitious targets for the transformation of its energy sector towards higher shares of renewable energy in its Energy Plan 2050. Germany has embarked on a pathway of increasing renewable energy shares in the energy sector and promoting energy efficiency with its Energiewende. The German-Emirati Energy Partnership provides a forum for bilateral exchange and mutual learning on challenges and opportunities related to establishing more sustainable energy systems.

More information on the current German energy policy can be found in the Newsletter 'Energiewende direkt' in English (published every fortnight).