Roundtable on “Challenges and Opportunities Along the Supply Chain for Green Hydrogen Projects in the Sultanate of Oman”
The Majan Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency organized a round table in cooperation with the Sustainable Energy Research Center, the College of Engineering at Sultan Qaboos University, the National Hydrogen Alliance, and the Ejad Platform.
“Challenges and opportunities across the supply chain for green hydrogen projects in Oman”
The roundtable was held on October 25 and was attended by more than 45 specialists and experts in various sectors concerned with green hydrogen projects in the Sultanate of Oman.
The table aims to encourage stakeholders and stakeholders (policy makers, regulators, industry, investors, project developers, research and development centers, etc.) to participate in an open discussion about the future of green hydrogen markets in the Sultanate of Oman, and to exchange opinions and viewpoints on everything related to the possibilities of reducing the costs of the production process. Green hydrogen and the possibility of creating a local economy in the first stage of the supply chain for green hydrogen projects in the Sultanate of Oman, which is the process of producing hydrogen using renewable energy sources (renewable energy sources, green hydrogen production, storage, transportation and use).
The event began with a welcome speech from Dr. Abdul Rahman Babarik – Associate Director of the Majan Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, in which he pointed out the importance of the role that the Sultanate of Oman plays in the hydrogen sector and how the Sultanate was able to take quick, carefully studied steps and care to become one of the largest producers of green hydrogen at the global level. Regional and global. He also stressed the importance of the role of think tanks and studies in Oman and the Gulf region to overcome difficulties and provide roadmaps and strategic studies in the field of hydrogen and renewable energy to make it easier for stakeholders to build and form sustainable markets that serve local economies and enhance their position in the future energy sector.
This was followed by a presentation by Dr. Abdullah Al Abri, an expert and consultant in the energy sector and the representative of the Sultanate of Oman to the International Energy Agency in France, in which he highlighted the global position that the Sultanate of Oman will have in the hydrogen markets and the amount of investments and projects that will be established in the country, with mention and focus on the global shift towards… Hydrogen as a major and future player in the energy sector.
After raising many topics and discussion questions among specialists – educational institutions, training centers, industry, the financial and investment sectors, government institutions and policy makers at the level of one table and at the level of all attendees – the views were recorded by the participants in order to be able to come up with a final report on the main challenges and opportunities to reduce Costs and creating a local economy content in green hydrogen production projects. These final roundtable outputs will be delivered as a report to the Ministry of Energy and Minerals and Hy-Fly.
Discussions and dialogues took place between specialists in four main groups: the academic sector, which was concerned with the role of innovation, research and development of hydrogen technologies, the second group: the training and qualification institutions sector, which was concerned with everything related to building capabilities and skills, and the third group: the corporate and investors sector, which was concerned with everything related to it. Relationship with investment, financing, and economics for hydrogen projects. The fourth group: government agencies concerned with policies, legislation, and regulatory frameworks for hydrogen projects.
The participants began exchanging ideas and visions within the groups at the round table on several main axes (exceeding more than 60 focal points related to reducing the costs of green hydrogen production and creating local economic content for renewable energy projects and hydrogen production), but they can be summarized in the following points:
• How can local academic and research institutions and think tanks contribute to reducing the cost of hydrogen projects, leveraging best practices, and actively participating/leading technological development and innovation to support this emerging new economy in Oman? (Challenges and opportunities).
• How can vocational and university education institutions cover the high demand, face difficulties in recruiting local personnel, and reduce foreign workforce costs based on three dimensions: level of knowledge about hydrogen, general skills and knowledge, and specialized skills and knowledge? (Challenges and opportunities).
• What are the challenges and opportunities facing the industry sector, investors and capital owners in Oman to support and encourage projects and businesses that aim to reduce hydrogen costs and enhance the content of the local economy? .
• What systems and frameworks are required from policy makers and government institutions to reduce costs and create content for the local economy? (Challenges and opportunities).
The round table continued for more than three hours in an atmosphere of enriching and enthusiastic discussion among the specialists. Had it not been for the lack of time, it would have continued for more than that as a result of the specialists’ feeling of the importance of the questions asked of them, which exceeded 70 questions. As a result of the positive reactions of the participants and their appreciation of the benefit they experienced, many of them wanted to continue and repeat such activities because of their importance in overcoming difficulties and preparing the various sector for giant green hydrogen projects, which make the Sultanate of Oman among one of the major exporters and producers of green hydrogen, not only at the level of the Arab region. But on a global level.
This event comes within the activities of the 18th International Conference on “Theoretical and Engineering Solutions for Hydrogen Energy (Hypothesis XVIII),” which was held at Sultan Qaboos University during the period from 23 to 25 October 2023 .
