Saudi ACWA Power, Germany’s SEFE Cooperate on Green Hydrogen Production and Export

Saudi ACWA Power, Germany’s SEFE Cooperate on Green Hydrogen Production and Export
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Saudi ACWA Power, Germany’s SEFE Cooperate on Green Hydrogen Production and Export

Saudi ACWA Power, Germany’s SEFE Cooperate on Green Hydrogen Production and Export

Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz met in Riyadh on Monday with German Minister of Finance Jörg Kukies to discuss key topics of mutual interest in the energy sector, including efforts related to clean hydrogen, building on the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by both sides in 2021.

Following the meeting, the two ministers witnessed the signing of the "Saudi-German Green Hydrogen Bridge" MoU between ACWA Power and SEFE, aimed at producing and exporting green hydrogen and ammonia from Saudi Arabia to Europe.
Under the MoU, ACWA Power and SEFE will jointly develop projects with an initial target of exporting 200,000 tons of green hydrogen annually from Saudi Arabia to Europe by 2030. ACWA Power will serve as the developer, investor, and primary operator of production assets, while SEFE, a major European energy company, will act as a co-investor and primary off-taker, responsible for marketing the hydrogen across Germany and Europe.
This step supports Saudi Arabia's efforts to solidify its position as a leading producer and exporter of green hydrogen and aligns with the goals of the MoU signed under the Saudi-German Energy Dialogue to strengthen cooperation in renewable energy and clean hydrogen technologies.



French PM Opposes Calls to Go back to 62 as Retirement Age

 France's Prime Minister Francois Bayrou visits the plant of French rolling stock manufacturer Alstom in Aytre near La Rochelle, western France, on March 14, 2025. (AFP)
France's Prime Minister Francois Bayrou visits the plant of French rolling stock manufacturer Alstom in Aytre near La Rochelle, western France, on March 14, 2025. (AFP)
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French PM Opposes Calls to Go back to 62 as Retirement Age

 France's Prime Minister Francois Bayrou visits the plant of French rolling stock manufacturer Alstom in Aytre near La Rochelle, western France, on March 14, 2025. (AFP)
France's Prime Minister Francois Bayrou visits the plant of French rolling stock manufacturer Alstom in Aytre near La Rochelle, western France, on March 14, 2025. (AFP)

Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Sunday rejected the idea of reverting to 62 as the basic retirement age in France, appearing to narrow options for unions and employers negotiating changes to an unpopular pension reform.

Bayrou, who heads a fragile minority government, agreed to reopen discussion of the 2023 reform, including the contested measure to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 years, to help secure tacit support in parliament from opposition Socialists.

He tasked union and company representatives to discuss changes, saying all options were on the table provided proposals would ensure a funding deficit would be plugged.

Asked in an interview on France Inter radio if it was possible to go back to retirement at 62, he said, "No."

"The representatives in the social conference know very well what the numerical situation is and which I asked the Court of Accounts to set out," Bayrou said, referring to a report by France's audit office projecting future deficits even after the 2023 reform.

At the same time, he did not see retirement age as the only path for reforming the pension system, he said.

If unions and employers fail to agree to proposals, the government plans to proceed with implementing the 2023 reform.