Oman has established a national hydrogen alliance to develop a domestic and export market for clean hydrogen, with the sultanate’s ministry of energy and minerals signing an agreement to establish the body that will initially have 13 members.
According to reports, the members of the alliance, called Hy-Fly, include government agencies, oil & gas operators, educational and research institutions and ports, all working together to support and facilitate the production, transport, domestic use and export of clean hydrogen.
Led by the Omani ministry the other founding members of the alliance are Petroleum Development Oman, Authority for Public Services Regulation (ASPR), OQ, Oman LNG, Energy Development Oman (EDO), BP Oman, Oman Shell, Total Energies Oman, Sultan Qaboos University, GUTech, Port of Sohar and Port of Duqm.
Salim al Aufi, under-secretary at the ministry, was quoted as saying: “Oman has a world reputation as an established, world-connected and reliable energy producer and exporter, and the country is well placed due to its climate, geo-strategic position and its know-how to drive the shift towards renewables and green hydrogen.
“The aim of Hy-Fly is to create a leading national and international industry and government/public authority alliance to drive the development and deployment of clean hydrogen in line with Oman’s Vision 2040 Energy Diversification Plans.”
Oman has already seen announcements of some major hydrogen and allied projects in the recent past. In March, India’s Acme Solar Holdings signed a memorandum of understanding with the Oman Company for the Development of the Special Economic Zone at Duqm (Tatweer) to develop a $2.5bn project with the capacity to produce up to 2,200t of green ammonia per day.
The ammonia and hydrogen facility is due to be developed in the Duqm industrial zone, with the aim of supplying green ammonia to Europe, America and Asia. Acme has appointed Synergy Consulting as the financial and transaction adviser for the project.
Another founding members of the Hy-Fly alliance, Oman’s State energy company OQ, is also planning a green hydrogen and ammonia project at the Duqm Special Economic Zone (SEC). The ‘Hydrogen Hyport’ project, to be developed in partnership with Belgium’s DEME, is expected to be a key strategic project for Oman as it seeks to diversify its economy. Developments in the project’s first stage will include an electrolyser capacity of between 250-500MW, which will be powered by up to 1.3GW of solar and wind renewable energy. The project also saw Germany’s Uniper joining it last month.
