Green fuels heavyweight: An overview of the Sultanate’s National Green Hydrogen Strategy to be presented tomorrow
A number of global energy firms, high-level ministerial delegations and other energy sector stakeholders will kick off three days of deliberations today that promise to cement the Sultanate of Oman’s emerging role as a green hydrogen production heavyweight in the region.
The Green Hydrogen Summit Oman (GHSO), organised by Muscat-based Birba Energy Services with the support of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, is being held against the backdrop of dramatic developments in the renewable and alternative energy space in in the Sultanate of Oman. World-scale projects potentially involving billions of dollars in investments have been unveiled by Omani energy firms in partnership with international players in recent months as part of a long-term drive to decarbonize the domestic economy, as well as those of partner governments.
An overview of these landmark initiatives, as well as the wider national strategy underpinning the broader transition to a greener energy future, will be presented at the GHSO event, which formally gets underway today, November 29, with a high-level Energy Executives Session.
The ‘invitation-only’ executive event, targeted at decision-makers and CEOs of energy sector stakeholders, features a keynote address by Dr Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA). Later, Eng Salim bin Nasser al Aufi, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, will join his counterparts from Egypt, and other Gulf states, in a panel discussion on regional decarbonisation.
The Summit itself opens tomorrow, November 30, at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) with an estimated 750 local and international delegates expected to attend virtually or in person. Keynote presentations by Al Aufi, as well as Shaikh Humaid bin Ali al Ma’ani, Head of Global Affairs Department at Oman’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will affirm the Omani government’s ambitions to usher in a hydrogen-centric economy within the next couple of decades.
The highlight of the day is an eagerly awaited overview of the country’s National Hydrogen Strategy, which will be presented by Dr Abdullah al Abri, the head of Energy Renewal, the recently established renewable and alternative energy arm of Petroleum Development Oman (PDO).
Over the course of the two-day proceedings, high-level executives representing PDO, OQ – the global integrated energy group of the Sultanate of Oman, Oman LNG, Oman Shell, Port of Duqm, Sohar Port and Free Zone, and Salalah Free Zone, will outline their respective roles in driving the country’s decarbonisation strategy.
Wholly government-owned OQ, the biggest of these players, will showcase its global-scale green fuels projects 25GW capacity scheme to be implemented Duqm in partnership with InterContinental Energy (Hong Kong) and Enertech of Kuwait. Green hydrogen and green ammonia output from this mega venture is primarily targeted at markets in Europe and Asia.
Together with Port of Duqm and DEME Group of Belgium, OQ will also shed light on its 500 MW capacity Duqm HYPORT green hydrogen project to be established at the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Duqm. Furthermore, progress in the delivery of the SalalaH2 Green Hydrogen project, announced recently by OQ in partnership with Linde Clean Energy, will also be shared during the Summit.
A number of countries that see the potential for cooperation with the Sultanate of Oman in the clean energy space are fielding high-level delegations to the Summit. The list includes Germany, Belgium, Japan, Korea and the United States. Global energy players and service providers TotalEnergies, Shell, Worley, TUV SUD, Siemens Energy, Petrofac, Hitachi Energy, Hydrogen Rise, and Haltiqa are presenting during the event. Also taking part are officials representing the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and The Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE).
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