UAE completes first phase of National Hydrogen Strategy

Sharif Al Olama, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure for Energy and Petroleum Affairs, has announced the completion of Phase I of the UAE’s National Hydrogen Strategy.

Speaking to the state news agency, WAM, Al Olama stated that the strategy, which will be launched next year, is a clear roadmap that comprises several pillars covering international cooperation, financing, research and development and the hydrogen industry.

He said the UAE aims to account for 25 per cent of major hydrogen markets, including India, South Korea, Japan and Germany by capitalising on its strategic geographical location as a gateway between East and West.

He also pointed out that the UAE has natural resources, such as natural gas, used in the production of blue hydrogen, and solar power, which is needed for the production of green hydrogen, noting that the country recently sent its first ammonia shipment to Germany, WAM reported.

Al Olama emphasised that the UAE has substantial expertise in the field of solar power and nuclear energy reactors that could be used to produce pink hydrogen.

“The UAE has launched seven strategic hydrogen production projects and is expected to produce 14 to 22 million tonnes annually by 2050 while the overall global production is expected to total 250 million tonnes annually,” he added.

The UAE has drafted a clear energy strategy based on diversifying its energy mix and producing hydrogen, and it aims to cooperate with its international partners to enhance its leadership in this area, he added.

In September, the UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MoEI) signed an agreement with GHD Group, in partnership with the Germany-based FraunhoferGesellschaft, to develop its National Hydrogen Strategy.

Read: UAE’s MoEI, GHD, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft partner to develop National Hydrogen Strategy