ROME — On Wednesday, Italy, Albania, and the United Arab Emirates formalized a tripartite agreement focused on clean energy collaboration. This deal leverages the UAE’s expertise in renewable energy production, specifically solar and wind, to bolster Albania’s capacity in these areas. A significant aspect of this arrangement involves transmitting some of the generated renewable energy to Italy via an underwater cable.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced the agreement during her visit to Abu Dhabi, emphasizing that this partnership goes beyond previous collaborations, such as the migration agreement that led to the construction of two migrant processing centers in Albania.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama stated that the value of the energy initiative is estimated at approximately 1 billion euros. Meloni remarked that this collaboration would assist Italy in fulfilling its long-term energy requirements while adhering to its commitments to sustainability articulated during UN climate conferences. She labeled the partnership as a pragmatic solution for pivoting from fossil fuels, particularly in light of increased energy demands driven by advancements in AI technology.
“The future of energy transition and digitization hinges on our capacity to balance sustainability with innovation,” Meloni expressed, also acknowledging nuclear fusion as a potential route to generate clean energy safely. Commenting on the distinctiveness of the collaboration among geographically distant partners, she noted its unique nature.
The UAE, a leading oil-producing country, has set an ambitious target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and has played host to the COP28 climate summit in the previous year. Sultan al-Jaber, the UAE’s Minister of Industry and Technology, indicated that the newly signed deal aligns with the goals of significantly increasing renewable energy production.
Al-Jaber, who also serves as the chairman of Masdar and the CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, emphasized the importance of transitioning away from fossil fuels, as acknowledged during the COP summit. For the first time, the summit recognized coal, oil, and natural gas as contributing factors to climate change, highlighting the necessity for the global community to move towards sustainable energy alternatives.
