The UAE is likely to announce its plans for tapping green hydrogen in early 2021, according to Nawal Al Hosani, the UAE's Permanent Representative to International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Green hydrogen is produced by using renewable energy versus blue hydrogen, which is produced using fossil fuels.

Al Hosani told Zawya that hydrogen has been on the UAE's radar since the very early days.

"The UAE is open to all new and emerging technologies when it comes to diversifying its energy resources. We will be making announcements at the virtual Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week next January,” she said at an online press conference on Monday.

Neighbouring Saudi Arabia is setting up world's largest renewable hydrogen project in NEOM.

Earlier, in his opening remarks, Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment said that the trend of lower solar prices, as illustrated by the 2 GW Al Dhafra solar project, which registered a record-low tariff of $0.0135/kWh, may boost manufacturing of green hydrogen, which is perceived as the sustainable fuel of the future.

Dubai, which had achieved the lowest global solar power prices five times at its Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, is also working on the Green Hydrogen project, which is the first solar-driven green hydrogen electrolysis facility in the MENA region.

IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera told Zawya that green hydrogen would be crucial to support the transition to zero emissions in energy-intensive sectors, such as industry and long-haul transport.

IRENA’s ‘Reaching Zero with Renewables’ study, released in September, noted that renewable energy uptake would provide at least half of the emission cuts needed in the seven toughest sectors, namely iron and steel, aluminium, chemicals and petrochemicals, cement and lime, road freight, aviation and shipping.

“Renewables would form the bulk of the new energy system, and be complemented by bioenergy and green hydrogen,” he said.

(Reporting by Anoop Menon; editing by Seban Scaria)

(anoop.menon@refinitiv.com)

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