BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 14. Speaking at the opening ceremony of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, the UAE Minister of Energy, addressed the rapidly growing global energy demand and the key role of battery storage in meeting future needs, TurkicWorld reports.
"Battery storage is the fastest growing energy technology in the world today," Al Mazrouei stated, underscoring the importance of innovation in energy storage. He revealed that a record 100 gigawatts of storage capacity will be added to the grid this year. However, the minister warned that this development represents only a small fraction of the growing global demand for energy, especially with the rise of artificial intelligence.
"Before AI took off, power demand was already on track to grow from 9,000 gigawatts to over 15,000 GW by 2035," Al Mazrouei explained. "But with apps like ChatGPT, growing by half a billion visits every month and using 10 times as much energy as a single Google search, demand by 2050 could reach as high as 35,000 GW. We are talking about an increase of over 250%."
The UAE minister stressed the scale of this challenge, noting that no single source of energy could meet such an unprecedented demand. "I am sure you would all agree that no single source of energy can meet this unprecedented demand," Al Mazrouei emphasized.
In addition to this, he pointed out the disparity in global energy access, highlighting that "a billion people still lack access to energy." In response to these challenges, the minister called for a diverse range of energy solutions, ensuring that the world has the flexibility and capacity to meet rising energy demands while addressing gaps in energy access.
Al Mazrouei’s speech underscored the critical role of diversification and technological innovation, including battery storage and renewable energy, in securing a sustainable energy future.
