Oman’s Ministry of Energy and Minerals and Hydrogen Oman (Hydrom) signed a Joint Study Agreement (JSA) with Port of Amsterdam, Zenith Energy Terminals and GasLog for the development of a liquid hydrogen route to market for green hydrogen produced in the Sultanate, Hydrom said in a press statement.

The Agreement was signed at the Omani Pavilion during COP28 in Dubai.

The Agreement entails conducting a detailed assessment of the requirements to develop an open-access hydrogen liquefaction, storage and export facility in Oman, along with the provision of specialised vessels for the transportation of the liquid hydrogen, currently under development by GasLog.

The primary aim of the Agreement is to establish a green hydrogen corridor between the Sultanate and the Netherlands, with the terminal of Zenith Energy as the destination for the import, regasification and further distribution of Oman-produced hydrogen to both local offtakers within the port of Amsterdam, as well as large industries in the European hinterland.

The open-access liquefaction facility will also enable Oman to explore cost effective hydrogen export corridors to other global markets, the statement noted.

It will also unlock great potential for recently awarded projects by Hydrom, offering liquid hydrogen as a viable vector that can be utilised by individual projects for export.

“As countries around the world race to achieve a hydrogen-based economy, the fundamental challenges of storing and transporting hydrogen on large scale remain open,” said Abdulaziz Al Shidhani, Managing Director of Hydrom.

“Oman is building an economically sustainable future by establishing a fully integrated hydrogen ecosystem. This joining of efforts with the Port of Amsterdam, Zenith Energy Terminals and GasLog will help bring us one step closer to our shared goal.”

Liquefying gaseous hydrogen, shipping of liquid hydrogen and regasification at the destination port is a mode of energy transportation successfully used by the LNG industry.

Leveraging the works undertaken by the ‘Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain Project’, which designed and built the Suiso Frontier, the world’s first liquid hydrogen vessel, the partners under this Agreement will aim to develop an energy efficient and zero carbon emission, liquid hydrogen handling chain, which can safely, efficiently and cost effectively deliver commercial quantities of Oman’s green hydrogen to international markets well before 2030.

(Editing by Anoop Menon) (anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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