Adnoc teams up with Baker Hughes to promote hydrogen technology innovation

The agreement will focus on new solutions to produce green and low-carbon hydrogen and graphene

Baker Hughes’s chief technology officer Chris Barkey and his Adnoc counterpart Sophie Hildebrand sign the agreement at the Climate Tech Conference in Abu Dhabi. Looking on are Lorenzo Simonelli, chairman and chief executive of Baker Hughes, and Musabbeh Al Kaabi, Adnoc executive director for low carbon solutions and international growth directorate. Photo: AdnocShow less

Adnoc and US energy services company Baker Hughes signed an agreement to accelerate the development and commercialisation of technology solutions for green and low-carbon hydrogen and graphene to drive sustainable energy in the UAE.

Under the agreement, the state-owned energy company will collaborate with Baker Hughes as a strategic partner to study and pilot the implementation of solutions from its hydrogen portfolio, Adnoc said on Wednesday.

The agreement was signed at the UAE Climate Tech conference in Abu Dhabi.

“The unique properties of graphene make it a promising agent to help decarbonise a variety of hard-to-abate sectors, while hydrogen can serve to accelerate decarbonisation as it does not generate any carbon emissions at point of use,” said Musabbeh Al Kaabi, Adnoc executive director for low carbon solutions and international growth directorate.

“Across Adnoc, we are proactively pursuing a strategy to accelerate the production and deployment of low-carbon and renewable hydrogen.”

In January, Adnoc allocated $15 billion to invest in a range of projects by 2030, which will help it accelerate its low-carbon growth strategy.

The energy company will invest in clean power, carbon capture and storage, further electrification of operations, energy efficiency and new measures to build on its policy of zero routine gas flaring.

Adnoc, which is responsible for most of the UAE’s oil and gas output, has been investing heavily in the production of natural gas and hydrogen as the country looks to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

The UAE is investing Dh600 billion ($163.5 billion) in clean and renewable energy projects over the next three decades.

Adnoc is already a major producer of hydrogen and ammonia, with more than 300,000 tonnes of hydrogen produced a year at its Ruwais Industrial Complex.

Adnoc headquarters in Abu Dhabi. The company has been investing heavily in the production of natural gas and hydrogen. Reuters

Collaboration is crucial to supporting and accelerating the growth of low carbon energy sources, said Lorenzo Simonelli, chairman and chief executive of Baker Hughes.

Under the terms of the agreement, Adnoc will leverage Baker Hughes’s hydrogen expertise and portfolio to test and develop solutions to produce low-cost green hydrogen and graphene at scale, helping to decarbonise its operations, the statement said.

These include new growth stage decarbonisation technologies Baker Hughes has invested across the graphene, methane pyrolysis and next-generation electrolysis spaces, it added.

Adnoc signed an agreement with Baker Hughes in November to develop technologies that can help drive sustainable energy in the UAE.

The collaboration aimed to support the development of technology proofs of concept, scale-ups and pilots while exploring the feasibility of their deployment across key projects at Adnoc.

In 2021, Adnoc’s artificial intelligence unit AIQ teamed up with Baker Hughes to boost efficiency in drilling operations.