Abu Dhabi-based Masdar has plans for the development of 10 GW of offshore wind capacity in the German parts of the North and Baltic Seas, and has just signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with German developer RWE to explore collaboration on offshore wind projects both in and outside Germany.
The company announced its 10 GW ambitions in Germany and the MoU with RWE after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Germany signed an Energy Security and Industry Accelerator (ESIA) Agreement on 25 September with an aim to accelerate projects of joint interest in energy security, decarbonisation and climate action.
Through the bilateral agreement, the UAE and Germany will work together on the implementation of strategic lighthouse projects with a focus on renewable energy, hydrogen, and LNG.
As part of the agreement, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has entered into an LNG supply agreement with RWE, as well as a number of agreements with other German customers for demonstration cargos of low-carbon ammonia, a carrier fuel for hydrogen, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reports.
Masdar says that, as part of the ESIA, it will actively explore offshore wind opportunities in Germany’s North and Upper Baltic Sea, with sights set on up to 10 GW renewable energy production capacity by 2030.
On 26 September, the company announced it also signed the MoU with RWE, under which the two companies will explore the development of offshore wind projects in a number of countries and explore further project opportunities that are identified by both parties.
Masdar and RWE are already cooperating on an offshore wind project, the 630 MW London Array in the UK, in which the two companies are shareholders.
Masdar, which aims to reach 100 GW of total offshore wind capacity by 2030, also holds stakes in the Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm and Hywind Scotland, the world’s first floating offshore wind farm.
Earlier this year, the UAE company also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with BP to acquire a stake in the proposed offshore wind-to-hydrogen project HyGreen Teeside in the UK.
The company was also one of the shortlisted developers for the Carolina Long Bay offshore wind lease sale that was held in May in the US.
This year, Masdar also entered into an agreement with Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Energy to cooperate on the development of offshore wind-to-hydrogen projects, and teamed up with South Korea’s Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) to explore opportunities in offshore wind energy and other clean energy sectors.
The company is also a first-mover in the UAE, where it entered into an agreement with National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC) to collaborate on offshore wind and green hydrogen project development in the UAE.
Under an MoU the two UAE companies signed, they will initially focus on collaboration in offshore wind and will also extend their efforts to cover other sectors, including green hydrogen production and battery storage technologies.