Hydrogen fuel has significant potential to meet the demand for sustainable energy sources. The hydrogen produced from waste has the potential to reduce landfill waste and decrease the reliance on costly treatments. The global focus is on the efficient production of sustainable hydrogen to satisfy energy demands and promote the development of a circular economy. The biohydrogen generation from waste is gaining momentum as nations adopt thermochemical and biochemical technologies to decarbonise energy systems and reduce landfill burdens.
Waste-to-biohydrogen conversion can follow thermochemical routes, including gasification, pyrolysis and supercritical water gasification, which produce hydrogen-rich syngas upgraded via water-gas shift and purification steps. The biochemical methods for hydrogen generation involve dark fermentation (DF), photo-fermentation (PF) and microbial electrolysis cells. Hybrid schemes, such as DF–PF integration or thermo–bio combinations, enhance overall efficiency.
Countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East are investing in pilot and commercial plants, integrating waste valorisation into national hydrogen strategies. Advances in catalysts, process integration and hybrid thermal–biological schemes are improving yields and scalability. These trends reflect a global shift towards circular economies, where waste becomes a key feedstock for clean fuel. Oman’s move into waste-to-hydrogen aligns with this momentum, positioning it to benefit from both technological maturity and market growth.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has highlighted Oman’s strategic potential as a future hydrogen exporter. National targets aim for 1 million tonnes per year by 2030, rising to 3.7 million tonnes by 2040 and 8.5 million tonnes by 2050 — figures that could surpass Europe’s current hydrogen demand. Integrating waste-based hydrogen into this portfolio offers flexibility, particularly for urban areas and coastal industrial zones.
Oman generates between 1.9 and 2.6 million tonnes of municipal waste each year — with more than 1.2 kilogrammes produced daily per person. Under Oman Vision 2040, Oman aims to reduce this to under 1 kilogramme per day and divert 60% of all waste from landfills by 2030. The country’s waste-to-hydrogen initiatives directly supports the national goals by reducing landfills and the emission of methane which is one of the potential greenhouse gases.
Oman is breaking new ground by transforming municipal solid waste into green hydrogen a bold step towards a circular economy that addresses both waste management and clean energy production. In partnership with the national waste management company Be’ah, a Muscat-based startup called Manah Hydrogen has launched two pilot facilities — one in the Wilayat of Manah (Al Dakhiliyah Governorate) and another in Muscat — designed to convert local waste streams into carbon-negative hydrogen fuel. Each compact plant, built inside a standard shipping container, processes about one tonne of mixed municipal solid waste daily, including organic material and plastics. From that waste, the units can produce between 110 and 140 kilogrammes of hydrogen each day, a promising alternative to fossil fuels with zero emissions at the point of use.
These small-scale plants are helping pave the way for Oman’s national goal of producing more than 1 million tonnes per year of green hydrogen by 2030. While large-scale solar and wind farms like HyPort Duqm and Green Energy Oman are under development, these waste-to-hydrogen pilots demonstrate the potential for localised and scalable clean energy solutions that make use of existing waste.
In a major development, a 1.4 billion US dollar agreement has been signed between German-based H2 Industries and Oman’s Madayn (Public Establishment for Industrial Estates) to construct the country’s first industrial-scale waste-to-hydrogen facility. Located on a 200,000-square-metre coastal site, the plant will eventually process up to four million tonnes of municipal waste per year. It is expected to produce around 67,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually while capturing up to one million tonnes of carbon dioxide — with an estimated export value of over $268 million.
The underlying technology — known as thermochemical conversion — enables hydrogen production from unsorted, mixed waste without the need for extensive recycling infrastructure. Companies like Ways2H, whose technology Manah Hydrogen may be leveraging, use high-temperature processes that break down waste into hydrogen-rich gas while simultaneously capturing carbon, making the process carbon-negative.
The environmental and economic benefits are far-reaching. Beyond clean hydrogen, the captured carbon dioxide can be converted into synthetic fuels such as e-diesel or sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Manah Hydrogen is already exploring the use of hydrogen to power Be’ah’s vehicle fleet and for supply to green tourism hubs like Al Mouj Muscat.
By combining local waste conversion with solar-powered hydrogen production, Oman is building a more resilient and diversified energy future — one that supports both sustainability and economic development. Programmes like Be’ah’s Eco-Innovate accelerator are encouraging local entrepreneurship in circular economy solutions and clean technology.
Challenges remain, including the need for greater public awareness around source separation, clearer regulations for waste-to-energy technologies and stronger private sector participation. Yet, with firm direction from national bodies like HYDROM and the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Oman is making steady progress.
In transforming waste into clean fuel, Oman is redefining its relationship with trash — from a burden to a valuable resource. These pilot projects and the mega-facilities that follow, have the potential to shift the country’s role from fossil fuel producer to a global leader in green hydrogen — one recycled bottle or banana peel at a time.
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