VZCZCXRO6078
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDF RUEHDH RUEHHM RUEHIK RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMA
RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHRL #0949/01 2180902
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 060902Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4863
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 0179
RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE USD FAS WASHINGTON DC 0160
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0824
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1536

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 000949 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/CE PETER SCHROEDER 
STATE FOR OES/IHB 
STATE FOR AID/GH/HIDN 
USDA PASS TO APHIS 
HHS FOR OGHA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ENRG KGHG SENV TRGY GM
SUBJECT: German Views on IRENA and the Innovation Center 
 
REF: State 73217 
 
¶1. (U)  SUMMARY: Germany welcomes the U.S. decision to 
join the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) 
and is looking forward to assisting in the establishment 
of both the Secretariat in Abu Dhabi and the Innovation 
Center in Bonn.  Although office space for the Innovation 
Center has already been identified, Germany believes the 
establishment of the Innovation Center must follow the 
establishment of the Secretariat in UAE; therefore 
Germany will move to set up the Center in tandem with the 
Secretariat.  Germany sees the Innovation Center as a 
center of excellence that will link renewable 
international energy expertise and match appropriate 
technologies with recipients.  Germany recognizes that 
its support for the Innovation Center is separate from, 
and in addition to, its support for the Secretariat.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
 
¶2. (U)  Dr. Urban Rid, Director-General of the German 
Environment Ministry, outlined Germany's vision for the 
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in a July 
30 meeting with A/DCM Robert Pollard.  Rid welcomed the 
U.S. decision to join IRENA, saying that the organization 
stands to benefit enormously from U.S. involvement and 
emphasized U.S. membership as sending an important signal 
for the future of the organization.  Rid noted that 
although Germany had offered Bonn as host location for 
the IRENA headquarters, Germany views the choice of Abu 
Dhabi in a positive light and believes there are some 
advantages to having the IRENA HQ located in a oil 
producing region.  Rid indicated that Germany is ready to 
assist in establishing IRENA's UAE HQ and looks to send 
German experts there to help set up the Secretariat. 
 
 
German Views on IRENA Innovation Center in Bonn 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶3. (U)  Rid indicated that Germany's establishment of the 
Innovation Center will go hand in hand with the 
establishment of the Secretariat in Abu Dhabi and 
stressed that Germany does not want the development of 
the Innovation Center to get ahead of the development of 
the Secretariat.  Germany seeks to staff the Innovation 
Center with international experts.  Rid stressed that the 
purpose of the Center is to promote and establish 
cooperation with all IRENA partners and therefore it 
needed to have an international staff. 
 
¶4. (U)  Rid noted that the Innovation Center will not 
produce research or technology, but rather act as a 
central coordinator of existing expertise.  The Center 
will work to assess specific regional needs in terms of 
renewable energies and match these with the most 
appropriate and promising technologies by sifting through 
ideas and facilitating discussion.  The Center seeks to 
identify and efficiently steer innovative renewable 
energy technologies to recipient countries.  In this 
process, the Center will become a reference body for 
assessing renewable technologies as well as economic, 
infrastructure (e.g., electric grids) and legal 
frameworks relevant to the renewable energy field.  Rid 
commented that industrialized countries would also 
benefit greatly as the Innovation Center will facilitate 
connections between technology providers and users.  Rid 
also cited the potential for integration between the 
technology plans that will be developed by IRENA and the 
technology plans currently being developed in the Major 
Economies Forum (MEF) process. 
 
¶5. (U)  Regarding logistics, Germany intends to establish 
the Innovation Center in a manner similar to its proposal 
for hosting the IRENA HQ.  Building space has already 
been identified adjacent to the offices of the Federal 
Environment Ministry in Bonn.  This site, along the Rhine 
River, is also close to the UNFCCC headquarters and the 
World Conference Center.  Germany understands that its 
 
BERLIN 00000949  002 OF 002 
 
 
support for the Innovation Center is separate from, and 
in addition to, Germany's assessed contribution to the 
IRENA organization.  Germany is ready to provide 4 
million euros in start-up costs for the Innovation Center 
plus 2 to 3 million euro annually to support the Center. 
 
BRADTKE