Oman awards hydrogen blocks to Kuwaiti company
Image Source: Oman Sustainability Week
Hydrogen Oman (Hydrom) has granted one of Oman’s initial hydrogen blocks to EnerTech Holding Company, a Kuwaiti state-owned company focused on clean energy investment and development.
EnerTech is also a founding partner of the international consortium, Green Energy Oman (GEO).
According to a press statement by EnerTech, the GEO consortium, which includes EnerTech, Oman’s integrated energy company OQ, Shell Oman, InterContinental Energy (ICE), and Golden Wellspring Wealth for Trading (GWWT), has successfully obtained Block Z1-04 in the Dhofar Governate.
This particular block, with the help of 4 gigawatts of renewable energy, is projected to generate 150,000 metric tonnes of green hydrogen each year.
According to the statement, this deal is one of three signed agreements granting the first green hydrogen blocks in the sultanate, with a combined investment value exceeding $20bn.
Oman expects these projects to lead to overall production capacity of more than 750,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year, which will significantly contribute to Oman’s ambitious goal of reaching 1 million tonnes of green hydrogen production per year by 2030.
Commenting on the development, Abdullah al Mutairi, vice chairman and CEO of EnerTech Holding Company, said, “We are thrilled to have been awarded one of Oman’s first hydrogen blocks, which serves as a testament to the unwavering dedication and forward-thinking vision of the consortium. This agreement marks a critical milestone in advancing the GEO project, positioned as one of the world’s foremost green fuels initiatives.”
He said, EnerTech firmly believes in Oman’s potential to emerge as a leading producer of green hydrogen, and we acknowledge the tremendous opportunities presented by Oman as a strategic market.
The agreement between Hydrom and GEO consortium members was signed in the presence of H E Eng Salim bin Nasser al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals.
Poised to become one of the world’s largest green hydrogen plants, the GEO project has been under development since 2017 and is located in the Al Wusta governorate of central Oman.
At full capacity, it will be powered by 25 gigawatts (GW) of renewable solar and wind energy, enabling the production of approximately 1.8mn tonnes of green hydrogen which can be converted into 10mn tonnes of green ammonia per year.
