Italy, Albania, and the United Arab Emirates have signed a cooperation agreement in the field of clean energy.
The agreement involves utilising the expertise of the United Arab Emirates in Albania to generate solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources, some of which will be transferred to Italy via an underwater cable across the Adriatic Sea.
Albania has been working to increase its renewable energy capacity, boosting production by approximately 500 megawatts over the past two years.
The agreement will strengthen existing energy connections that stretch "430 kilometres along the Adriatic seabed, linking Italy with Montenegro and other Balkan regions", Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated at the Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama estimated the energy agreement's value at around one billion euros and said it would become operational within three years. He explained that the agreement would connect the Albanian port of Vlorë with Italy's Puglia region--the closest point between the two countries.
Rama added that the Italian grid operator Terna and the UAE's National Energy Company would participate in the project.
Balancing sustainability and innovation
Meloni stated that the trilateral agreement would help Italy meet its long-term electricity needs while respecting the sustainable energy commitments made at UN climate conferences.
She described the agreement as a pragmatic way to transition away from fossil fuels at a time when energy demand is rising due to the increased needs of artificial intelligence technologies.
"The future of the energy transition and digitalisation will depend on our ability to strike a balance between sustainability and innovation", Meloni said, adding that nuclear fusion could be another way to produce clean and safe energy.
(EUpravo zato)
