Alex Salmond signs Abu Dhabi green energy deal
Alex Salmond has struck a deal with Abu Dhabi renewables giant Masdar to boost the sector in Scotland. Pictures: Jane Barlow
SCOTLAND is to tie up a deal with one of the world’s richest cities to boost the burgeoning renewable energy sector.
The deal – to be signed by First Minister Alex Salmond next week – will involve Scottish universities working with academics in Abu Dhabi’s renewables giant Masdar to produce new technologies to power wind, solar, wave and tidal machines.
Industry analysts hope the partnership could eventually lead to massive investment from Abu Dhabi – one of the wealthiest places on earth – into Scotland, where new renewables firms are trying to get investment for prototypes.
The deal is also a major boost for a joint venture by Scottish universities, the Energy Technology Partnership, already the largest energy research link-up in Europe.
Salmond is also expected to use his visit to Abu Dhabi next week to attend a global energy forum to confirm a new air route between Scotland and the Middle East, providing a second direct link to the region, in addition to the Glasgow-Dubai connection. Salmond has recently visited Qatar, which will host the football World Cup in 2022 and Qatar Airways has expressed an interest in running services to either Glasgow or Edinburgh.
Masdar, owned by the city of Abu Dhabi, was set up five years ago to wean it away from its dependence on oil and invest in renewable energy projects. Along with a university, the firm also is building an entire city outside Abu Dhabi for 40,000 people, designed to be reliant on renewable energy. It has a multi-million pound capital fund for investment in projects across the world.
Salmond said last night: “It is clear that the work Masdar is taking forward on leading us to a low-carbon society is in perfect synchronisation with the work we are doing here in Scotland.
“This is the first agreement of its kind between Masdar and an individual nation and will work towards developing further university research into renewable energy.”
The deal will see researchers from Scottish universities working alongside experts from Abu Dhabi. Scottish projects include designing generators to boost wind turbine efficiency, testing tidal energy machines, and research into ultra-thin solar cells.
Niall Stuart, chief executive of Scottish Renewables said the partnership was “potentially highly significant” as it might give Scottish R&D projects access to Masdar’s huge capital reserves.
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Comments
There are 71 comments to this article
Page 1 of 5
Newferryman
Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 11:32 AM57. As Carlsberg would put it. " Probably the best unionist pash in the world".
Haud Oan
Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 04:20 AMI can't believe that Fifty described Scotland as a "country with no history of endeavour or invention". Seriously?! Are you really that dense? Have you even read the unionist (I'm assuming you are one) arguments that if Scotland breaks away then the UK will lose the intellectual and inventive tradition that we brought to the UK? Check your history!
aIasdair
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 09:46 AM64 - you're joking surely. There are a bunch of people in here moaning that Salmond is too socialist.... that would rather annoy mahatmacoat, who usually likes to claim that Salmond is a right-winger. Poor Joe really is quite thick.
Simonsaid
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 09:30 AMAND BEWARE EFVEN MORE OF NUMPTIES LIKE THE ONE IN THE PHOYO ACCEPTING THEM
Simonsaid
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 09:29 AMBEWARE OF ARABS BEARING GIFTS
Danielrober2
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 07:16 AM# 65 footdee .................... I am afraid for peoples jobs as essentially intellectual property is been sold even before it is patented. Very foolish indeed by a First Minister who simple seeks control and more power, by circumventing EU courts. Add the fact that Government and University Researchers are hardly well paid, and now they will have even less funds available. A foolish action from an under qualified team, where those who are qualified are over worked and again are underfunded.
footdee
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 12:41 AMA lot of scared unionists on here
J. Simpson
Sunday, January 8, 2012 at 10:34 PMI would have thought this would have been ideal fodder for Mahatmacoat
manwillstoponedayhaha
Sunday, January 8, 2012 at 09:13 PMBREAKING NEWWS !!! ATTENTIONALERT !!! MILLIONS TO BE ASSASSINATED FOR THE SAKE OF $$$ LIABILITIES(mk-ultra, chip implants, electroshocks etc. performed on them) AND NEW WORLD ORDER(multiculturalism = terrorism) POLITICAL AGENDA KNOWN AS "YOU ARE NEXT"(financial liabilities are 2 expensive for the government and it is cheaper to get read of you instead) !!! IF YOU WERE TREATED WITH ELECTROSHOCKS OR DRUGS USED FOR WIPING OUT MEMORY(numerous Americans and Europeans were and are) AFTER ENDURING FORCED CHIP IMPLANTS(or to retard individual = how homeless people are produced), YOU ARE SCHEDULED NEXT !! http:myshortbiography.blogspot.com LEARN TRUTH ABOUT UNITED NATIONS, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AS WELL AS NEW WORLD ORDER(MULTICULTURALISM = TERRORISM) GOVERNMENTS(Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) !!! NOT THERE TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS, BUT TO DENY YOUR RIGHT TO EXISTENCE !!! ABDUCTIONS FORCED BRAIN CHIP IMPLANTS BLACKLISTING FORCEFUL UNEMPLOYMENT MK-ULTRA BRAINWASHING AGAINST WHITE(under "NAZI" lie) CIVILIAN POPULATION TODAY IN 20112012 ACROSS THE EUROPE AND NORTHERN AMERICA !!! http:myshortbiography.blogspot.com WHY TO ACCEPT LIABILITIES FOR CRIMES COMMITTED WHEN WE CAN SIMPLY ASSASSINATE OUR VICTIMS(YOU) THANKS TO HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS AND FREE PRESSMEDIA(most severe censorship of genocide ever !!!)!! Related to WHITES NO LONGER WELCOME IN AMERICA !!! http:www.youtube.comuserBostjanAvsec
manwillstoponedayhaha
Sunday, January 8, 2012 at 09:12 PMBREAKING NEWWS !!! ATTENTIONALERT !!! MILLIONS TO BE ASSASSINATED FOR THE SAKE OF $$$ LIABILITIES(mk-ultra, chip implants, electroshocks etc. performed on them) AND NEW WORLD ORDER(multiculturalism = terrorism) POLITICAL AGENDA KNOWN AS "YOU ARE NEXT"(financial liabilities are 2 expensive for the government and it is cheaper to get read of you instead) !!! IF YOU WERE TREATED WITH ELECTROSHOCKS OR DRUGS USED FOR WIPING OUT MEMORY(numerous Americans and Europeans were and are) AFTER ENDURING FORCED CHIP IMPLANTS(or to retard individual = how homeless people are produced), YOU ARE SCHEDULED NEXT !! http:myshortbiography.blogspot.com LEARN TRUTH ABOUT UNITED NATIONS, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AS WELL AS NEW WORLD ORDER(MULTICULTURALISM = TERRORISM) GOVERNMENTS(Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) !!! NOT THERE TO PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS, BUT TO DENY YOUR RIGHT TO EXISTENCE !!! ABDUCTIONS FORCED BRAIN CHIP IMPLANTS BLACKLISTING FORCEFUL UNEMPLOYMENT MK-ULTRA BRAINWASHING AGAINST WHITE(under "NAZI" lie) CIVILIAN POPULATION TODAY IN 20112012 ACROSS THE EUROPE AND NORTHERN AMERICA !!! http:myshortbiography.blogspot.com WHY TO ACCEPT LIABILITIES FOR CRIMES COMMITTED WHEN WE CAN SIMPLY ASSASSINATE OUR VICTIMS(YOU) THANKS TO HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS AND FREE PRESSMEDIA(most severe censorship of genocide ever !!!)!! Related to WHITES NO LONGER WELCOME IN AMERICA !!! http:www.youtube.comuserBostjanAvsec
nabodican
Sunday, January 8, 2012 at 08:40 PMThe blawbag in chief is to sign the agreement but did he actually have anything to do with it and how much of our money is he spending and exactly what is to do without because of it.
Danielrober2
Sunday, January 8, 2012 at 08:07 PM# 58 SINGAPOREAN .................... Maybe Ian Gray would have left these type of deals to the professionals and instead put his effort into Scotland, as the First Minister where he is needed.
Danielrober2
Sunday, January 8, 2012 at 08:04 PM# 55 Kennedy Clan ................. Are you saying that you would off held on to the empire, for economic reasons and not freed people after WWII? I think if you had of tried that you would of faced a rebellion, in the UK, as those countries were apart of team democracy. They earned their freedom, with dignity and honour, they were not given it.
SINGAPOREAN
Sunday, January 8, 2012 at 08:04 PMCould you ever have seen Ian Gray doing international deals? Not as long as Westminster was in charge. Salmond is raising the profile of Scotland as no First Minister or Secretary of State has done before. Good luck to him in his endeavours to put us on the world stage.
fifty
Sunday, January 8, 2012 at 07:25 PMThis will result in nothing but publicity for a socialist ego determined to saddle a sad country with an excuse of a democracy swamped with oil and no history of endeavour or invention to justify its place in the world. Salmond is rushing towards a another fine Darien Project which ironically led to the demise of Scotland. Yes it is a blinder with the blind leading the blind. Socialism is a disease, which is continuing to belittle Scotland. The displacement of Labour with SNP defines democracy as an inevitable decline. It is a replacement of Glasgow and its 'fine' achievements (decline) over the last 40 years under labour with Scotland under a socialist dogma called the SNP.
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