Sharif Al Olama, Under-Secretary for Energy and Petroleum at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, today said that the UAE’s commitment to sustainable development is deeply ingrained in its national strategy, and that the country is actively pursuing innovative solutions to mitigate climate change and protect the planet.
The statement came at the High-level Panel on the Vital Role of Natural Gas, organised by the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) as part of the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP28).
Al Olama highlighted that one of the UAE’s most significant contributions has been its pioneering efforts in renewable energy development.
He said, ‘We have invested heavily in solar and nuclear power, and we are now home to some of the largest and most efficient renewable energy projects in the world. For instance, the Noor Abu Dhabi solar park is the world’s largest single-site solar power plant, generating over 1.5 gigawatts of electricity.’
Al Olama added, ‘We are also leading the way in carbo
n capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) technologies. CCUS has the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from industrial processes and power generation. We are currently developing several CCUS projects, built on our experience with Al Reyadah carbon capture, utilisation, and storage project, which is one of the first commercial-scale CCUS projects in the Middle East. We are planning to increase the carbon capture capacity by 10-fold by 2030.
‘Natural gas plays a key role in meeting the world’s growing energy demand and will continue to do so during the global transition to low-carbon energy sources. However, the future of natural gas demand is a complex issue with many factors to consider. While there is growing demand for natural gas in some parts of the world, there is also a growing push to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels due to climate change concerns.’
He concluded, ‘We believe that natural gas demand will continue to grow in the near term, as it is a versatile and affordab
le fuel that can play a key role in the global energy transition. But, we also believe that natural gas demand will eventually peak, as we transition to a more sustainable energy future. This will be driven by multiple factors, including the decreasing cost of renewables, the development of new energy storage technologies, and the growing awareness of the need to address climate change. In the meantime, we are committed to using natural gas responsibly and sustainably. We are investing in new technologies to reduce methane emissions from our natural gas operations, and we are working to increase the efficiency of our natural gas power plants. We are also exploring ways to use natural gas as a feedstock for low-carbon fuels, such as hydrogen.’
Source: Emirates News Agency