Today's Edition
KHALED AL KHAWALDEH (ABU DHABI)
The Middle East and North Africa are set to take the lead in the world's push towards hydrogen, with the region aiming to produce 10 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) by 2030, placing it at the centre of a growing global industry.
According to the MENA Energy Outlook, by the Dubai-based energy think tank Dii Desert Energy, by the end of 2024, the region had a development pipeline that included 117 hydrogen projects, 90% of which were considered "green."
The UAE is central to this development, with projects like the DEWA Green Hydrogen Pilots, the Masdar-Emirates Steel pilot and the TA'ZIZ Blue Ammonia Plant among the first pioneering projects in the region.
The report predicts that by 2030, the country, despite its small size, will account for a third of the region's hydrogen production behind Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
Dii Desert predicts that due to its strong commitment to climate targets, large pipeline of renewables and clear policy frameworks, the country will help the region in development and research, particularly in the production of green hydrogen.
"The UAE wants to position itself as a major producer of low-emissions hydrogen by 2031 by developing supply chains, establishing hydrogen oases and creating research centres for hydrogen technologies," the report read.
"The National Hydrogen Strategy 2050 sets a target of 1.4 mtpa by 2031, of which 1 mtpa from green hydrogen and 0.4 mtpa from blue hydrogen."
Already, the country leads the region in renewable energy production, with 6264 megawatts of installed capacity, outpacing even the much larger Saudi Arabia.
The report highlights giga-projects like the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park for their contribution to achieving these results and sees them as crucial to the success of the country's future leadership in green hydrogen production.
There are some indications that the country is already on track. Late last year, construction began on a 1 mtpa low-carbon ammonia project in the UAE with operations expected to commence in 2027. The plant is expected to produce 50% lower-carbon intensity ammonia compared to conventional ammonia.
Last month, during the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, BEEAH revealed plans for the Middle East's first commercial-scale, waste-to-hydrogen plant to be established in Sharjah.
The plant will use cutting-edge hydrogen refinement technology to produce fuel-cell grade hydrogen from various organic-based waste, including sewage.
The resulting green hydrogen will then be readily used in energy and industrial applications, or in fuel cell vehicles.
"Energy diversification and hydrogen leadership are important priorities for our Ministry as part of the UAE Centennial Plan 2071 and the National Hydrogen Strategy," Eng. Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs at Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure said at the time.
"The project's innovative process for green hydrogen production from waste has the potential to significantly contribute to national priorities such as reducing reliance on fossil fuels and emerging as one of the global leaders in hydrogen production."
