Two Omani green hydrogen projects end
Two of Oman’s nine green hydrogen projects have been shelved, amid industry concerns about a mismatch between supply and demand for the low-emissions fuel.
Hydrogen Oman (Hydrom) Managing Director Abdulaziz Al Shidhani told a conference in Muscat this week that they were both ended “by mutual agreement” with the developers — BP in one case, and the other involving France’s Engie and South Korean steelmaker Posco.
Hydrom says the seven remaining projects are still progressing, with a target of producing 1 million tonnes of green hydrogen a year by 2030. It is also moving forward with a third auction of land for green hydrogen projects, this time with $3.6 billion of additional incentives.
The problems in Oman follow reports in May that the green hydrogen program in Saudi Arabia’s NEOM was also having difficulties signing up customers.
This article was first published on Rigzone here
OMV AG and Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co PJSC (Masdar) have signed a binding agreement to form a joint venture for an under-construction 140-megawatt electrolyzer that will produce up to 23,000 metric tons per annum (MMtpa) of hydrogen in Bruck an der Leitha, Lower Austria.
Expected to start production 2027, it will be the biggest renewable hydrogen plant in Austria and Southeastern Europe and among the top five across the continent, according to Austria’s state-backed OMV. The plant’s electrolytic process to split water into hydrogen and oxygen is planned to use wind, solar and hydro power.
OMV will own 51 percent and Masdar 49 percent. They expect to complete the formation of the JV “early 2026” subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals, they said in a joint statement.
The companies said,
The partnership combines OMV’s strategic leadership under its integrated Fuels and Chemicals business and Masdar’s commercial, financial and technical expertise in developing and operating clean energy projects worldwide
“OMV, which is already running a 10-MW electrolyzer plant for green hydrogen in Schwechat, will procure the renewable electricity for production and own the green hydrogen produced”.
The plant will partly fuel OMV’s Schwechat refinery to cut carbon emissions by up to 150,000 MMtpa, around 10 percent of the refinery’s production-related emissions, according to OMV.
The hydrogen facility and the refinery, which has a crude oil processing capacity of 9.6 MMtpa, will be connected via a 22-kilometer (13.67-mile) pipeline.
OMV awarded Germany’s Siemens Energy AG the engineering, procurement and construction contract, including the supply of the plant’s electrolysis technology. OMV contracted Vienna-based STRABAG AG for the civil construction work, OMV said September 29 announcing the laying of the plant’s foundation stone.
OMV and Masdar said of the JV,
The partnership lays the foundation for a future strategic collaboration between OMV and Masdar to explore green hydrogen, synthetic sustainable aviation fuels (e-SAF) and synthetic chemicals production in both the UAE and Central and Northern Europe, following the signing of the letter of intent in April earlier this year
The letter of intent is for a partnership to produce synthetic aviation fuel and other synthetic fuels, as well as synthetic chemicals, in Austria, the United Arab Emirates and northern and central Europe.
Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Masdar chair and United Arab Emirates industry and advanced technology minister, said of the JV,
Today’s agreement also underscores the deep and growing collaboration between the UAE and Austria in powering growth for the information age
Austrian Economy, Energy and Tourism Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer said,
Our goal is clear: Austria aims to become Europe’s leading hydrogen hub.
”In doing so, we reaffirm our commitment to maintaining a strong, energy-intensive industrial base – to create jobs and secure prosperity for the future”.
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Two Omani green hydrogen projects end, source
