David Cameron Speaks with UAE Students about Offshore Wind

The UK Prime Minister David Cameron arrived yesterday in Dubai, starting his three-day visit to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, with an aim to help Britain succeed in the global race by strengthening ties with the Gulf region.

As a part of his meetings during the visit, Mr. Cameron held a question and answer session with students of Sheikh Zayed University. The students wanted to know more about the UK’s foreign policy, women’s rights, relations between the two countries and many other important issues.

When asked about the Britain’s strategic direction in collaborating with the United Arab Emirates in the field of energy sustainability, the Prime Minister said that the UK’s energy policy is to make sure that the country has a diversity of supply.

 “We have the largest amounts of renewable energy in Europe in terms of tidal power and offshore wind power, and we are harnessing that through a system of subsidies which is going to build offshore wind farms and wave energy projects,” Mr. Cameron said.

He continued: “So our vision is one where there is a balanced energy policy: some nuclear, some renewables, and then also obviously gas which we will be producing some ourselves, but we now are major importers of gas from particularly Qatar, but also elsewhere. “

Explaining the necessity to meet the future increase of electricity demand, Mr. Cameron told the students that the move from petrol vehicles to electric vehicles, along with the shift to renewable energy sources, needs to be followed by a sufficient power production.

“All countries will have to move to greener forms of energy, so the first countries that can produce new batteries for cars, the first countries that can harness wave and wind power, the first countries that do better at storing electricity: these countries will have a massive competitive advantage as the world moves towards more renewable forms of electricity,” the Prime Minister concluded.

Finally, he expressed his appreciation to the UAE for being a big investor in renewable technologies.

Today, Mr. Cameron also met with UAE Sovereign Wealth Funds, which has invested in the London Array offshore wind farm, to discuss ongoing and future investment into the UK energy markets.

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Offshore WIND Staff, November 6, 2012; Image: number10