Today's Edition
KHALED AL KHAWALDEH (Abu Dhabi)
Back in 2021, the UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure launched a plan to lead the rapidly developing global hydrogen industry. The ambitious plans would see the country become one of the largest exporters of ammonium and hydrogen products in the world.
However, the technology once touted as the alternative to regular petrol combustion engines has largely seen itself take a backseat to electric vehicle (EV) batteries in the last few years, putting into question the usability of the fuel. Nevertheless, speaking to Aletihad, BEEAH Transport CEO, Nasir Alshamsi, made it clear that whilst hydrogen may not power your car, it will likely take your rubbish away, deliver your packages, and maybe even take you to work via public transport.
“Ultimately, I strongly believe when it comes to the commercial, long haul, fleet type of vehicle, it’s better to have hydrogen in place rather than electric, mainly due to the efficiency,” Alshamsi told Aletihad on Tuesday.
“If you look at electric vehicles, you have the batteries and have the motor, you lose a lot of efficiency, roughly 40 to 50%. That’s why you will never get that required range. On the other hand, hydrogen is different, but we have two types of hydrogen vehicles. We have battery operated hydrogen vehicles, which of course have the same issues as EV, but also, we have combustion hydrogen,” he said. “I definitely think the hydrogen combustion engine is the future.”
BEEAH is one of the UAE’s premiere waste management and environmental firms, which has grown over time to become a champion of sustainable solutions in the region. Alshamsi said the firm was looking to shift the transform the company’s fleet of almost 2000 vehicles.
He noted that the price per kilogramme would have to go down before the fuel became a widely used commercial alternative to diesel, a process he believe would take at least five years.
“For this to become economically viable for investors and distributors like ENOC and ADNOC, we will have to see the price come down from around Dh50 a kilogramme, which is what it is currently, closer to Dh8 per kilogramme,” he explained.
“We already started testing some hydrogen trucks; we’re already in that phase. The main thing is to validate the viability. So, we know diesel trucks are relatively cheap to operate, but we’re looking at different economical, eco-friendly solutions.”
The UAE is one of the few countries globally to have a fully dedicated roadmap for hydrogen production, with a multitude of companies, including Masdar, Taqa, and ADNOC, all undertaking projects to bring the technology forward.
Already, thousands of tonnes of ammonium have been exported to Japan from ADNOC’s facilities in Ruwais. Masdar has signed an agreement with German commercial vehicle manufacturer, Daimler Truck, that aims to see the Abu Dhabi begin exporting hydrogen to the European market by 2050.
BEEAH itself has already run a proof of concept, waste to ammonium plant in Nottingham, UK that will be replicated at a much larger scale in the UAE. Alshamsi said the project would likely open later in the year.
“This is the type of collaboration between manufacturers and government entities that we need to push a new type of technology,” he said, commenting on the plethora of hydrogen deals around the country. “I really think hydrogen will be the future.”
