Latest news with #EmiratesNuclearEnergy
Zawya
6 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
UAE, France explore cooperation in hydrogen, nuclear energy
PARIS - A UAE delegation wrapped up a three-day visit to France, where they discussed opportunities for cooperation and exchanged best practices with key French stakeholders to leverage innovative ways to approach upcoming challenges of the energy transition. The visit was part of the UAE's efforts to build synergies with other countries in driving sustainable development and enhancing energy security. Focus areas included advancements in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) regulations and infrastructure, hydrogen, nuclear innovation, and decarbonisation strategies. Eng. Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, headed the delegation, which comprised Mohammed Al Hawi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Investment, as well as representatives of AMMROC, Emirates, General Civil Aviation Authority, Bee'ah, Masdar, Emirates Nuclear Energy Company, Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, and Lootah BioFuel. Eng Al Olama said, 'The UAE and France share a firm commitment to continuous progress, a passion for innovation, and an eagerness to embrace future trends. The tour aimed to support the UAE's clean energy transition by identifying best practices, fostering bilateral cooperation, and equipping delegates with actionable knowledge to advance national sustainability goals. As a global technology leader, France is at the forefront of coming up with innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges the world faces today and is a valued partner in the UAE's efforts to shape a better future.' He added, 'I would like to thank all the French officials and private sector representatives whom I met for the warm welcome and hospitality we have received during our trip. I look forward to translating the outcomes of our productive conversations into tangible projects that will help us build sustainable energy systems and accelerate the transition to clean energy, with the ultimate goal of leaving behind a better world for the next generations.' On day one of the visit to Paris, the delegation participated in a closed meeting at MEDEF International, the leading network of companies in France, with French companies' representatives, led by Ludovic Pouille, Director of Economic Diplomacy at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. The participants explored on-going cooperation projects and ways to expand them. Furthermore, representatives from both sides provided an overview of the national hydrogen strategy of their respective countries. This was followed by presentations of hydrogen development projects and solutions by leading French energy providers: HY24, EDF Renouvelables, Axens, Engie, Technip Energies, Fives Group, and Dassault Systèmes. Nuclear energy technologies were also the focus of the meeting, as the delegation received a briefing on the French nuclear value chain, nuclear fuel management and challenges, and latest developments of small modular reactors by leading French nuclear industry and SMR experts from CSFN, ORANO, CEA, Nuward, Newcleo, and Naarea. At the meeting, Al Olama emphasised that cooperation is essential, reaffirming the UAE's commitment to activating strategic partnerships across the energy sector with France in key areas to strengthen economic partnership and work together towards achieving their decarbonisation targets. Day two, also spent in Paris, featured a packed agenda of site visits and meetings. The delegation toured the Innovation Hub of Schneider Electric, a leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation. They learned about the company's cutting-edge AI-driven solutions for energy optimisation. They also visited the R&D labs of Air Liquide, a world leader in gases, technologies, and services for industry and healthcare, where they had a firsthand insight into the company's state-of-the-art technologies. Furthermore, a representative of the French Civil Aviation Authority outlined the country's regulations and policies regarding the use and promotion of SAF, whereas a member of the UAE delegation presented the national approach to increasing reliance on SAF as a means to decarbonise the aviation sector. Al Olama enjoyed a lively discussion on the UAE's and France's shared commitment to sustainability with representatives of Airbus, Total Energies, Safran, Bureau Veritas, and Haffner Energy. On the third and final day of the tour, the delegation moved to the city of Toulouse, where they visited the Airbus mock-up centre and the A350 Final Assembly Line, one of the most modern production sites in the aviation industry. Moreover, they met with UAE graduates having their internship in Airbus. The UAE and France enjoy long-standing strong ties that were taken to new heights in the past few years.
The National
7 days ago
- Business
- The National
UAE faces surge in demand for energy amid data centre boom
Demand for energy is surging in the UAE as the country embraces the technology of the future, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Al Mazrouei said on Tuesday. He was speaking at the World Utilities Congress in Abu Dhabi, as the country forges ahead with new data centres and the population increases sharply. With artificial intelligence as an emerging driver for society, governments should be 'very open to new ideas when it comes to efficiency improvement', Mr Al Mazrouei said. 'The demand is growing and growing very strongly, with more power required for data centres. It's overwhelming, I can tell you, even for a country like us in the UAE,' he added. Last week saw the announcement of Stargate UAE, a mega data centre project to be built in Abu Dhabi by AI major G42, OpenAI, Oracle, Nvidia, Cisco and SoftBank Group. The one-gigawatt compute cluster will operate in the recently established five-gigawatt UAE–US AI Campus. Mr Al Mazrouei said countries should look 'objectively' at the cost of energy. He also said many countries faced the problem of regulators being 'unable to adapt to the same speed as the industry'. The renewable energy industry is 'very progressive' and has had to reduce the cost for end users, as well as 'improve the efficiency of the whole system', he added. Mohamed Al Hammadi, managing director and chief executive of Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (Enec), said the AI boom required 'urgent action' to increase clean power – particularly nuclear – to meet rising global electricity demand. 'The world is waking up to the realities of grid security and the need for reliable, abundant, and clean electricity. If we want to lead in AI and digital infrastructure, we must lead in energy,' he said at the summit, addressing a panel exploring the global power outlook to 2030. Data centres consume a significant amount of energy, with some using sustainable sources such as solar and water. 'We don't have a clear understanding of the net added energy demand,' said Francesco La Camera, director general of the International Renewable Energy Agency. 'And this is why if it's true that data centres will require [more] power, this power should be provided by renewables. 'It's also true that the use of AI … could reduce, in some way, the demand for energy for more efficient systems,' he told The National on the sidelines of the summit. Opec+ should be 'mindful' of rising oil demand Despite a growing focus on renewable energy, Opec+ should be 'mindful' about oil demand, said Mr Al Mazrouei. The oil group, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, are 'doing their best' to balance the market and ensure there is enough investment into the supply, he said. 'If this group was not there, there will be chaos … you will be seeing shocks and that is not good news for consumers,' the minister said. On Friday, oil prices posted their first weekly decline since April amid worries over the latest talks between US and Iranian negotiators over the latter's nuclear programme. Prices were up in early trade on Tuesday. Oil prices had earlier fallen on reports that Opec+ is planning to boost supply again in July. The supergroup of producers had announced output increases of 411,000 barrels per day for May and June – and is likely to announce a similar increase for July during its May 31 meeting, according to a Bloomberg report. How Opec+ policy evolves during this year will depend on internal compliance issues and the broader developments in the oil market, analysts at Saudi Arabia's Jadwa Investment said in its oil market update for May. Opec+ is likely to scale back production increases later in the year as global inventories increase. Despite the group's efforts, Mr Al Mazrouei said they may not be enough and it may 'need the help of others'. AI energy solution At the summit, the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, in collaboration with G42 unit Presight, unveiled the Abu Dhabi Water and Energy AI Solution platform, which integrates power, water, district cooling and petroleum product systems into a centralised decision-making hub. The platform has an initial target of generating Dh100 million ($27.2 million) at launch, and is expected to grow to Dh1 billion before 2028, according to Department of Energy chairman Abdulla Al Jarwan. 'This innovation will optimise operations, predict complex demand patterns, achieve real-time system visibility and significantly enhance customer behaviour for millions of users,' he said.
