US, Bahrain, UAE and Israel in talks to expand energy “interconnection opportunities”

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

By P Unnikrishnan

The US will remain an active partner of Bahrain, the UAE and Israel in enhancing and increasing the “interconnection opportunities” to provide “affordable energy and access to energy to everyone” in the region, said a top US energy official.

Talks regarding this have just begun with Bahrain, UAE and Israel, said Dan Brouillette, the United States Secretary of Energy, terming it as “very exciting”. “The conversations have focused on the things that we can do together, the four of us together, that will enhance and increase the interconnection opportunities for the nations that are seeking those here in the region. We talked about electricity being a starting point. We also talked about natural gas pipelines, the movement of natural gas throughout the region,” Brouillette said.

More talks next year

He also revealed that “a second conversation” on this will occur virtually as early as January with more partners including Saudi Arabia. “We spoke briefly about invitations perhaps out to Oman, to Sudan, to Morocco, to the Palestinian Authority, as well as to Saudi Arabia and to Jordan,” Brouillette said during his visit to the UAE. “So those invitations will go out very, very shortly,” he said stressing that the talks are important not only for the Middle East, but also for the world. Brouillette was speaking during a telephonic briefing with journalists in the region in which The Daily Tribune was a participant.

Invites more partners

Explaining the talks are part of the Abraham Accords, Secretary Brouillette said that the US will be active partners “with anyone else who wishes to join us as we expand this opportunity to other partners in the region in January.” He also revealed the talks as having geopolitical goals which go beyond the region. On this note, he criticised the countries in Europe for being “overly dependent” upon countries like Russia suggesting “Eastern Med gas coming from Egypt” as an alternative.

Brouillette said the US was ready to invite their companies and investors to continue development of natural gas pipeline projects in the region. “It’s our goal in the United States and our interest here is to, again, produce energy and make it available to the region, but also to create economic opportunities for Egypt, for Israel, for others who would wish to provide natural gas or perhaps crude oil to others in the world,” he said.

Opportunities in Hydrogen

Talks also focused on Tipline pipeline that runs from Eilat to Ashkelon to make it available for crude oil and other product movements. Brouillette said the US is seeing opportunities in the movement of electricity and hydrogen throughout the region.