UAE is ‘well positioned' to capture hydrogen opportunities

Gulf country enjoys strong relations with potential consumers such as Japan, South Korea and China, experts say

The UAE is developing new solar plants that will help the country produce green hydrogen, experts say. Photo: Wam

The UAE and parts of the Middle East are well positioned to tap into opportunities offered by hydrogen, an alternative clean fuel that could help the world transition to more sustainable sources of energy, experts say.

“In the region, we have access to competitive natural gas that may allow us to produce grey hydrogen, we have access to carbon capture and storage and that may allow us to produce competitive blue hydrogen,” Sergio Lopez, energy policy specialist at Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, said during a panel discussion at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week on Tuesday.

The availability of renewable sources of power will help the countries in the region to produce green hydrogen and nuclear energy will help in producing pink hydrogen, he said.

“The region will benefit from investing in hydrogen not only from the economic point of view but also from the environmental point of view.”

Current annual hydrogen sales represent a market value of about $174 billion, which already exceeds the value of annual trade in liquefied natural gas, and this could grow to $600bn by 2050, the International Renewable Energy Agency said in a recent report.

The UAE is drawing up a comprehensive road map to position itself as an exporter of clean fuel and tap into its future potential.

The Gulf country aims to capture about 25 per cent of the global hydrogen market share and is in discussions with many countries to export it, said UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Al Mazrouei.

“The UAE is very strategically geographically positioned in between Asia and Europe and has strong commercial relations with potential hydrogen consumers such as Japan, South Korea and China”, which will allow it to boost exports, Mr Lopez said.

One of the first Arab countries to declare a net-zero target, the UAE is developing numerous clean energy projects as it aims to become carbon neutral by 2050. It is currently constructing Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, the Arab world’s first multi-unit operating nuclear energy plant.

The UAE is also building renewable energy projects to boost the supply of clean energy in the country, including the world’s largest solar plant in Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi. Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region are also developing new renewable energy projects.

Sustainability in the UAE - in pictures:

Kyle Wagner, head of operations at Masdar Farms, shows the inside of the smart farming retrofitted shipping container in Abu Dhabi that grows four tonnes of leafy greens per year. Antonie Robertson / The National

A view of the domes used for urban farming in the Sustainable City in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

A member of staff tosses feed in the shrimp pond at an aquaculture farm in Abu Dhabi. Pawan Singh / The National

Jubail Mangrove Park in Abu Dhabi. Mangroves are abundant along the coastline of the emirate and can sequester and store carbon for thousands of years. Victor Besa / The National

Scimitar-horned oryx, part of the antelope family, at the Deleika Wildlife Management Centre in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

About 30 turtles are released into the sea on World Sea Turtle Day at Jumeirah Al Naseem beach in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Cyclists get up early to exercise at Al Qudra Bike Track, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Workers prepare tyres before the recycling process at the Gulf Rubber factory in Al Ain. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

A view of Barakah's Unit 2. Photo: Wam

Al Bahar Towers in Abu Dhabi use a solar shading system that features a computer-controlled facade made up of thousands of translucent units. Silvia Razgova / The National

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is the largest single-site solar park in the world and central to Dubai's plans to obtain 75 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2050. Photo: Wam

Masdar City in Abu Dhabi is the first attempt in the Middle East to build a sustainable city. Chris Whiteoak / The National