Abu Dhabi, Mar. 21, (dpa/GNA) – The German economy minister clinched a number of deals with the United Arab Emirates on Monday that will send “green” hydrogen energy to Germany, after a trip to Qatar over the weekend focused on finding new sources of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Robert Habeck of the environmentalist Greens was in Abu Dhabi on the second leg of his Gulf tour, prompted by Germany’s desire to wean itself of Russian gas imports in light of the war in Ukraine.
Habeck, who was accompanied on the trip by a high-ranking business delegation, held talks with several ministers in the UAE capital.
After visiting Qatar over the weekend, one of the world’s largest exporters of LNG, the focus in the UAE turned to “green” hydrogen, which is produced with renewable energy rather than conventional fossil fuel.
The UAE draws a lot of its energy from solar power – something which Habeck saw for himself when he visited the Masdar City project outside Abu Dhabi, where the Gulf nation plans to create a model eco-city, and a nearby solar power site.
During the trip, five cooperation agreements were signed to establish a hydrogen value chain between Germany and the UAE.
The hope in Berlin is this hydrogen could decarbonize the steel and chemical industries – a vital transition if Germany is to meet its current target of going carbon-neutral by 2045.
Meanwhile, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has provided Berlin with new impetus to switch to greener energy, according to Habeck.
“The faster we are with hydrogen, the less we need gas,” the minister said in Abu Dhabi, adding that the development of a hydrogen economy could happen much more quickly due to the pressure to divest from Russia.
While Habeck could not predict the speed of this transition, he said it was clear “that the old plans are not sufficient. Everyone sees that now.”
Underpinning that urgency, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Germans to boycott Russian gas and other goods.
“Without trade with you, without your companies and banks, Russia will have no money for this war,” Zelensky said in a video message published on social media on Monday.
No one has the right to destroy nations and divide Europe, he added.
“Please do not sponsor the war machine of Russia,” Zelensky said in a renewed appeal to Germany to help his country.
Germany needs new gas deals if it is to turn off Russian deliveries, which amount to 55% of Germany’s fossil fuel imports.
Habeck said on Sunday that Germany had clinched a long-term partnership with Qatar that could make German energy “Putin-free.”
The agreement allows for gas deliveries to Europe in the short term, then longer-term shipments to LNG terminals that Germany plans to build in order to set up its own reception capacity.
GNA