Masdar and France sign declaration to collaborate on renewable energy and energy efficiency

France and Masdar signed a joint declaration at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The agreement was signed by French Minister of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, Delphine Batho, and Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO of Masdar, the renewable energy company based in Abu Dhabi.

The landmark declaration paves the way for Masdar to work closely with French companies and organisations on the development of sustainable energy.

Potential areas where collaboration are expected include the development of innovative commercially viable technologies, as well as exchanging expertise, human capital development and sharing experience with policies and regulations.

In addition, the agreement opens the door for joint research in renewable energy projects and sustainability technologies while strengthening existing cooperation on the Global Atlas of Renewable Energy.

The UAE and France already have strong partnerships in the renewable energy sector. Total, the French oil and gas company, and Masdar have partnered to build Shams 1, the 100-megawatt concentrated solar power project in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi, which is the largest solar power project in the Middle East. A third partner, the Spanish renewables company Abengoa, also has a stake in the project.

The UAE has played a leadership role in developing and deploying new clean energy technologies in recent years. In 2010, following Abu Dhabi's successful bid to host the Headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs established the Directorate of Energy and Climate Change to support a fuller international engagement on climate and energy issues, including support for the Agency.

The UAE is also making significant investments in the creation of a renewable energy industry, a move that will diversify both its economy and its energy mix.

To tackle climate change and to boost the national economy, France is also making a strategic move to invest in renewable energy. Today, France's wind energy capacity ranks sixth in the world and the nation has a target to produce 23% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.

President Hollande delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the largest gathering on sustainability in the history of the Middle East. While at the gathering, he also visited the exhibition stand of Masdar.

The signing took place at the 2013 World Future Energy Summit (WFES) in Abu Dhabi, the world's foremost annual meeting committed to advancing future energy, energy efficiency and clean technologies.