Đedović: UAE, Serbia to work together on hydrogen, hydropower plant projects

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Serbia will sign a memorandum of cooperation on hydrogen projects and further joint work in the renewables sector.

The signing of the memorandum between the UAE and Serbia was agreed in Abu Dhabi by Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović and UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Al-Mazrouei, according to a press release from the Serbian ministry.

The two countries are deepening their cooperation in the energy sector, and the next step will be to share the experience and know-how in the use of hydrogen as fuel, the ministry said.

Đedović noted that hydrogen is the fuel of the future, which will provide cleaner energy with a smaller environmental footprint. The UAE, she said, has the know-how, developed technologies, and renewable energy companies which already do business in Serbia thanks to the friendly relations between the two countries.

UAE could be an important partner to Serbia on green and blue hydrogen projects

Those companies could become important partners in the further development of green energy in Serbia, but also green and blue hydrogen as a new fuel in the energy sector, said Đedović. Tapping on renewable energy potentials is an important instrument for improving Serbia’s energy security and achieving climate neutrality, she added.

Đedović highlighted the Čibuk 1 wind farm as the biggest achievement in the cooperation between Serbia and UAE so far, and she announced that construction on Čibuk 2, with a capacity of 150 MW, will begin this year. The cooperation will not end there since UAE companies are also interested in solar energy projects, an area where they have extensive experience, she added.

Works on Čibuk 2 are expected to start this year

Minister Suhail Al-Mazrouei said the ties between the two countries are based on the “brotherly relations” and true friendship between their respective leaders. He acquainted Đedović with nuclear and renewables capacities developed by the UAE, as well as the country’s plans for energy infrastructure development.

Đedović is in Abu Dhabi for the 13th session of the General Assembly of International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and is also scheduled to take part in a ministerial panel on net-zero emissions as part of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week.