Latest news with #energyCooperation
Zawya
28-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Egypt, Sweden strengthen clean energy partnership with focus on storage, grid integration
In a high-level meeting aimed at advancing energy cooperation, Egypt's Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Mahmoud Esmat, received Swedish Minister for Foreign Trade and International Development Cooperation, Benjamin Dousa, at the Ministry's headquarters in the New Administrative Capital. Also in attendance were Dag Juhlin-Dannfelt, Sweden's Ambassador to Cairo; Gaber Desouky, Chairperson of the Egyptian Electricity Holding Company; Mona Rizk, Chairperson of the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company; and senior officials from both governments, as well as representatives from joint Egyptian-Swedish renewable energy ventures. Discussions focused on strengthening bilateral collaboration across several strategic areas, including renewable electricity generation, large-scale energy storage, grid interconnection with Europe, green hydrogen production, technology innovation, and knowledge transfer. The two sides explored ways to integrate renewable energy more effectively into Egypt's national grid, enhance grid stability, and boost the efficiency of clean energy distribution. Emphasis was placed on storage solutions to optimize the use of intermittent renewable sources such as solar and wind. Key topics included wind energy, green hydrogen projects, and hydropower. The Swedish Development Finance Institute's support in funding studies related to capacity planning and the integration of renewables was also reviewed. Notably, the discussions included updates on a planned 1,000-megawatt independent battery storage system and progress on Egypt–EU electricity interconnection initiatives. The talks also highlighted ongoing projects involving Swedish firms and explored new investment opportunities, in line with Egypt's broader energy diversification strategy. Officials underscored the importance of private sector involvement and international partnerships in achieving the country's clean energy goals. Minister Esmat praised Sweden's continued support for Egypt's national energy strategy, which aims to raise the share of renewables in the energy mix to 42% by 2030 and 65% by 2040. He acknowledged the value of Swedish technical studies in supporting capacity planning and grid modernization. He emphasized that most renewable projects in Egypt are implemented by both local and international private-sector entities, including active participation from Swedish companies in solar and wind power. Esmat also reiterated Egypt's commitment to becoming a regional energy hub through cross-border electricity interconnection, enabling the export of surplus renewable energy—especially from solar and wind—to European markets. He stressed the importance of grid upgrades and increased renewable capacity in achieving this goal. Concluding the meeting, Minister Esmat reaffirmed that electricity remains a national priority, as it underpins development across all sectors. With its abundant wind and solar resources, Egypt is well-positioned to lead in clean energy. Recent legislative reforms have been enacted to attract investment and support the country's transition toward a sustainable, low-carbon future.
The National
22-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Turkey to provide 2 billion cubic metres of gas annually to Syria, minister says
Turkey will provide 2 billion cubic metres of natural gas to Syria annually, Turkey's Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on Thursday, in a joint news conference in Damascus with his Syrian counterpart, Mohammad Al Bashir, as they signed a joint co-operation agreement to boost energy collaboration. Mr Bayraktar said that Turkey's gas exports to Syria will contribute to an additional 1,300 megawatts of electricity production in the country and that Anakara aims to triple electricity exports to Syria up to 1,000 megawatts in coming months. Supplies will help increase power hours in Syria up to 12 hours per day, and the two will also explore natural resources to help reconstruction efforts, he added. Turkey will start supplying Syria, which has suffered from severe power shortages, with gas in June as the two work on completing a gas pipeline connecting them, Mr Al Bashir said in the presser. "This will significantly boost electricity generation, which will positively impact the Syrian people's electricity needs." The two minister discussed completing a 400-kilovolt line that links the countries, contributing to importing around 500 megawatts of electricity into Syria, to be ready by the end of the year or shortly thereafter. Cooperation also includes opening the door for Turkish companies to invest in mining, phosphate, electricity generation and electricity distribution in Syria. "There is very intensive work underway regarding the discovery of new natural resources, whether gas or oil, on land or at sea," Mr Bayraktar said. Syria suffers from severe power shortages, with state-supplied electricity available for only for a few hours a day in most areas. Damascus used to receive the bulk of its oil for power generation from Iran before Hayat Tahrir Al Sham took power in December.
Asharq Al-Awsat
11-05-2025
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
A Century of Partnership: How Oil Forged the US-Saudi Strategic Alliance
Long before the iconic 1945 meeting between King Abdulaziz Al Saud and US President Franklin D. Roosevelt aboard the USS Quincy in Egypt's Suez Canal, the seeds of a historic partnership had already been planted. More than a decade earlier, American oil experts had landed on Saudi soil, drawn not by diplomacy, but by geology. Their presence in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia, on the shores of the Arabian Gulf, gave rise to a new chapter in international relations. From modest beginnings, the Saudi-American partnership evolved into one of the most significant bilateral relationships in the modern Middle East, anchored in energy cooperation, reinforced through political trust, and tested across decades of global and regional upheaval. Oil First: The 1933 Concession Agreement The turning point came just a year after the unification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. On May 29, 1933, King Abdulaziz authorized his Minister of Finance, Abdullah Al-Sulaiman, to sign an oil exploration concession with the Standard Oil Company of California (Socal), now known as Chevron. Represented by Lloyd Hamilton, the company created a subsidiary - the California Arabian Standard Oil Company (CASOC) - to manage operations within the Kingdom. The 60-year concession marked the beginning of a partnership that would transform both nations. After decades of exploration and expansion, the Saudi government began acquiring stakes in the company, starting with 25% in 1973, increasing to 60% in 1974, and culminating in full ownership in 1980. Eight years later, the company was renamed the Saudi Arabian Oil Company - Aramco. American Presence in Dhahran While American missionary efforts in the Gulf dated back to the late 19th century, particularly in Bahrain and Kuwait, Saudi Arabia remained largely untouched by these early religious and medical missions. The true bridge between the US and Saudi Arabia came through oil. Following the 1933 agreement, American geologists and engineers arrived in the eastern city of Dhahran. Initial drilling in the mid-1930s was unsuccessful, until Socal's chief geologist Max Steineke led an operation that resulted in the discovery of commercial oil in 1938. This breakthrough transformed the region and the bilateral relationship. A pivotal moment in the history of Saudi Arabia - and in the global oil industry - occurred on March 4, 1938, when oil first flowed from the initial test well in Dhahran, known as Dammam Well No. 7. This event established Saudi Arabia as the country with the largest oil reserves and one of the world's most important energy sources. The well, drilled to a depth of 1,441 meters, is located on the hill known as Jabal Dhahran and later became famously known as 'Prosperity Well' (Bi'r Al-Khair). Marking the beginning of a new era, King Abdulaziz embarked on a historic journey in the spring of 1939. Accompanied by a large delegation, he crossed the red sands of the Dahna Desert to reach the eastern part of the Kingdom on the Arabian Gulf. His visit coincided with the completion of the pipeline stretching 69 kilometers from the Dammam oil field to the port of Ras Tanura. There, a symbolic moment took place: King Abdulaziz personally turned the valve to load the first shipment of Saudi crude oil onto a tanker. Thus, on May 1, 1939, Saudi Arabia exported its very first barrel of crude oil to the world. The Quincy Meeting and the Birth of a Strategic Partnership As World War II drew to a close, global attention turned to energy. The United States, anticipating a post-war recovery and growing energy needs, saw in Saudi Arabia a stable, resource-rich partner with vast oil reserves. At the same time, the Kingdom, newly unified and eager for development, welcomed American expertise and investment. On February 14, 1945, just 82 days before the war officially ended in Europe, President Roosevelt met King Abdulaziz aboard the USS Quincy at the Great Bitter Lake. The meeting, now known as the 'Quincy Summit,' laid the foundations for a strategic partnership that extended beyond oil. It recognized Saudi Arabia as a key geopolitical player and spiritual heart of the Islamic world, and cemented the United States as its primary global partner. Soon, Dhahran became home to a growing American community. Workers lived in self-contained compounds that included Western-style homes, schools, shops, recreational clubs, and even small churches. Though initially isolated from Saudi society, this community played a significant role in introducing new technologies, industrial practices, and modern urban planning to the Kingdom. By 1938, Aramco employed 2,745 people, including 236 Americans and more than 100 other expatriates. The arrival of American families, including the wives of engineers and executives, signaled the beginning of deeper cultural exchange. In 1937, two of the first American women, Annette Henry and Nellie Carpenter, arrived in the Eastern Province. To accommodate the growing expatriate presence, Aramco shipped the first mobile, air-conditioned homes to the desert. Strengthening Ties Through Crises Over the following decades, the US-Saudi relationship deepened. As Aramco expanded, the American community grew, spreading across eastern cities like Ras Tanura, Abqaiq, and Jubail. The bonds formed in the workplace gradually extended to neighborhoods and schools. Although cultural differences remained, trust and mutual respect grew. In 1973, the October War and subsequent Arab oil embargo shocked global markets and sent fuel prices soaring. While the embargo strained relations, it also underscored Saudi Arabia's central role in global energy stability. From then on, Washington viewed Riyadh not just as an oil supplier, but as a geopolitical partner essential to maintaining balance in the Middle East. The Cold War further strengthened the relationship. Saudi Arabia's moderate policy and anti-communist stance made it a dependable ally. The partnership was tested and reinforced through regional crises, including the Iranian Revolution (1979), the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988) and Iraq's invasion of Kuwait (1990).
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
CGTN：How do stable China-Russia ties contribute to a turbulent world?
BEIJING, May 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A natural gas pipeline that stretches 3,000 kilometers in Russia and 5,111 km in China commenced operations in December last year, benefiting about 450 million people along its route. The China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline is a landmark project of energy cooperation between the two countries, yet ties between the two neighboring nations go far beyond that. In 2024, bilateral trade rose to $244.8 billion, making China the largest trading partner of Russia for 15 consecutive years. At the leadership level, the two heads of state have met more than 40 times on various occasions over the years. In the face of unprecedented global changes, China and Russia have continuously deepened political mutual trust and strategic coordination, maintained close cooperation in international affairs, and injected valuable stability and positive energy into a turbulent world, visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday. Xi arrived in Russia on Wednesday for a state visit and to attend celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War. A pillar of stability Xi urged China and Russia to resolutely defend the rights and interests of the two countries and the vast number of developing countries in the face of the countercurrent of unilateralism and the acts of power politics and bullying in the world. He called for an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, noting that this is also an inevitable choice for both sides to achieve mutual success and promote their own development and revitalization. China will work with Russia to shoulder the special responsibility as major countries of the world and permanent members of the UN Security Council, Xi added. Feng Shaolei, director of the Center for Russian Studies at East China Normal University in Shanghai, pointed out that President Xi's visit – like his previous trips to Russia – aims to strengthen the long-standing friendship and strategic partnership between the two countries, and help maintain peace and stability in both the region and the wider world. Feng emphasized that both countries advocate an independent and autonomous approach to managing their internal and external affairs, and he believes the China-Russia relationship serves as a stabilizing anchor amid global transformation. Wang Yong, a professor at Peking University's School of International Studies, said the world is at a critical moment, and China and Russia should step up cooperation under multilateral platforms to guide global governance in the right direction and push back against unilateralism and bullying. For China and Russia, joining hands to build a community with a shared future for mankind and contributing more stability and positive energy to the international community is far wiser and more meaningful than engaging in geopolitics, Wang added. Resilient ties Hailing long-term good-neighborly friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation as distinct features of bilateral ties, President Xi remarked that China-Russia relations have become more confident, stable and resilient in the new era. Putin echoed the sentiment, saying the relationship is built on mutual respect and equality and is not swayed by external circumstances. The two presidents on Thursday witnessed the signing and exchange of over 20 bilateral cooperation documents, covering areas such as global strategic stability, upholding the authority of international law, investment protection, digital economy, quarantine and film cooperation. Professor Feng emphasized that pragmatic cooperation remains the strongest internal driver of the China-Russia partnership. While traditional areas such as energy, aerospace and infrastructure remain key pillars, the two countries are expanding cooperation into emerging sectors including the digital economy, biomedicine and green development. Cultural and people-to-people exchanges have also gained momentum. In 2023, the two leaders agreed to make 2024 and 2025 the China-Russia Years of Culture, launching hundreds of exchange activities such as exhibitions, film screenings and academic collaborations. On top of that, the two sides have made impressive strides in educational cooperation. More than 200 Russian universities now offer Chinese language courses, with some 90,000 students studying the language. Meanwhile, over 40,000 Chinese students are pursuing studies in Russia. CONTACT: Contact: CGTN, cgtn@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
