Oman plans to produce 1 to 1.25 million tons per year of green hydrogen by 2030 and has set up a state-owned company as part of its plan to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Hydrogen Oman, better known as Hydrom, will be a subsidiary of Oman’s state-owned Energy Development Oman, the sultanate’s state media reported on Sunday.
Oman has earmarked two blocks in the southern port city of Duqm and another four blocks in Salalah to be tendered for the development of green hydrogen projects.
The blocks in Duqm will be offered publicly on 6 November, in hopes of reaching an award by March 2023, and the Salalah blocks in April 2023, with the aim of announcing awards by the end of the year.
Hydrom will oversee the development and construction of the projects, while working closely with the Oman’s Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones to set up infrastructure such as roads, power lines and other installations.
“Oil and gas, electricity, industry and transportation, as well as the construction field — all of these sectors are interconnected,” said Minister of Energy and Minerals Salim Al Aufi.
The main goal shared by the sectors is to work towards the achievement of Oman’s net-zero target by 2050, he said.
By 2040, Oman aims to boost green hydrogen production to between 3.25 to 3.75 million tons per year, rising further to 7.5 to 8.5 million tons per year by 2050.
Earlier this year, Oman’s Public Establishment for Industrial Estates, better known as Madayn, joined forces with the US company H2 Industries to establish a $1.4 billion waste-to-hydrogen plant in the Gulf country.
Hydrogen is expected to account for 12% of global energy use and 10% of carbon emission reductions by 2050, driven by the urgency of climate change and countries’ net-zero commitments, the International Renewable Energy Agency said.
“It is our responsibility to look at the international markets, the local markets and understand what the demands are,” said Hydrom’s acting executive director Firas Al-Abdawani.
“Green hydrogen presents itself as a key vector that enables Oman to pursue its decarbonisation, economic and energy security objectives,” said Oman’s minister of energy, Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi.