Oman plans for liquid green hydrogen corridor with Netherlands

Oman's Ministry of Energy and Minerals and Hydrogen Oman (Hydrom) have signed a Joint Study Agreement (JSA) with Port of Amsterdam, Zenith Energy Terminals and GasLog, to collaborate on the development of a liquid hydrogen route to export green hydrogen produced in the country to Europe. 

Claimed as the world's first commercial scale liquid hydrogen corridor, the agreement was signed at the Omani Pavilion in the on-going COP28 in Dubai, signed by Omani Minister Eng. Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi and the Climate Envoy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Prince Jaime de Bourbon de Parme. 

According to the official press statement, the agreement entails conducting a detailed assessment of the requirements to develop an open-access hydrogen liquefaction, storage and export facility in Oman, along with the provision of specialized vessels for the transportation of the liquid hydrogen, currently under development by GasLog. 

The terminal of Zenith Energy is envisaged as the destination for the import, regasification and further distribution of Oman-produced hydrogen to both local off-takers within the port of Amsterdam, as well as large industries in the European hinterland. 

Moreover, the open-access liquefaction facility will also enable the government of Oman to explore cost effective hydrogen export corridors to other global markets, the statement noted.

The industry expects that the open-access facility for liquefaction would unlock great potential for these projects, offering liquid hydrogen as a viable vector that can be utilized by individual projects for export.

To pursue its long-term goal to reach Net-Zero by 2050, the government of Oman is pursuing a hydrogen strategy that seeks to capitalize on the country's abundant wind and sun power and existing port and industrial infrastructures for exports to overseas markets in Europe and Asia.

Hydrom is orchestrating the overall development of the Omani hydrogen sector and is responsible for master-planning, managing the allocation of government lands to hydrogen developers and overseeing the execution of projects.