Unlikely Companions of Energy Transitions? Opportunities and Challenges of Triangular Cooperation Between the EU, the GCC, and Hydrocarbon-Poor Countries From the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

Abstract

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is a pivotal region for attempts at transitioning away from hydrocarbons. With the claimed objective of achieving more equitable and effective development cooperation, US and European policymakers, and most notably the OECD, advocate for shifting away from established North-South bilateral cooperation to North-South-South triangular cooperation (TC). This paper explores the opportunities and challenges of TC in the renewable energy sector between the European Union (EU), the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and select hydrocarbon-poor MENA countries. It argues that EU-GCC-MENA TC may enable the expansion of renewables, but it also risks deepening social, economic, and political imbalances. After analyzing the status of electricity grid interconnection and the production and logistics of green hydrogen, it discusses the political and economic interests of involved actors and the extent to which the implementation of renewable energy megaprojects risks reproducing asymmetric dependencies and authoritarian practices. The article relies on a qualitative multi-methods approach, consisting of interviews, desk research, and interpretive analysis.