Adnoc Distribution, the UAE’s largest fuel and convenience retailer, has signed an agreement with Japan Cooperation Centre Petroleum (JCCP) to supply, install and pilot the use of a photovoltaic (PV) solar power system at one of its service stations on Yas Island.

 

The signing ceremony, held at Adnoc Distribution’s head office, was attended by Abdulla Salem Al Dhaheri, director of marketing, sales and trading at Adnoc Group and member of the Adnoc Distribution board of directors; Kanji Fujiki, the Japanese Ambassador to the UAE; Saeed Mubarak Al Rashdi, Aanoc Distribution’s acting chief executive officer; John Carey, Adnoc Distribution’s deputy chief executive officer; Eiji Hiraoka, JCCP’s senior executive director; and Ryota Seno, Abu Dhabi general manager of Cosmo Engineering.

 

The renewable energy agreement, which will see PV solar power installed at the Yas North service station, reflects Adnoc Distribution’s commitment to efficiency, sustainability and the environment as it transforms and modernises its operations by piloting and adopting the latest technologies.

 

Saeed Al Rashdi, Adnoc Distribution’s acting chief executive officer, said: "For many years, the UAE and Japan have together been building strong bilateral relations that span trade and investment, culture, tourism and education. Solar energy and, more broadly, energy efficiency are areas of particular strength in Japan, and we are delighted to be the host for this project as it aligns well with our own goals for Adnoc Distribution.

 

"As we transform our business model to become more customer-centric, we continue to invest in upgrading our operations to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Our agreement with JCCP is an important addition to our programmes to drive greater efficiency with the organisation. As well as the work we are doing on solar power, we have a growing natural gas vehicle, NGC, operation available at 24 stations, and are actively installing electric vehicle chargers. There is serious momentum to our alternative fuels offering," he added.

 

JCCP has previously worked with Adnoc Group on several environmental awareness initiatives to fulfil its objective of promoting mutually beneficial cooperation between oil-producing countries and Japan. This includes regular environmental seminars, lectures and training sessions presented by JCCP and hosted in cooperation with the Adnoc Group’s environment departments.

 

Ambassador Fujiki said: "I am very happy to be witnessing this exciting moment today as this signing will help further promote the utilisation of solar energy use in the UAE, a steady step towards achieving a green economy in line with the UAE’s pioneer leaders’ vision. This is a pilot step in a number of initiatives that will help introduce small power generation facilities for businesses to use and for households in the UAE in the near future."

 

"I would like to commend the leadership and the management team of the Adnoc Group and Adnoc Distribution for adopting the direction of utilising renewable energy, which will help transform their business model into a green decarbonised one in collaboration with Japan’s JCCP and Cosmo Engineering. This is another bold step in the right direction, following last year’s IPO of Adnoc Distribution," Ambassador Fujiki added.

 

Eiji Hiraoka, JCCP’s senior executive director, said: "JCCP has worked relentlessly to promote friendly relations between oil-producing countries and Japan since 1981, while the UAE remains one of our main partners, Adnoc Group and Adnoc Distribution are among our key stakeholders in the country and thus we are keen on achieving maximum technical cooperation, knowledge and personnel exchanges across the downstream operations including promoting world-class operational technologies similar to the ones implemented in Adnoc’s Yas North Service Station."