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Abu Dhabi to develop hydrogen policy with new regulations and standards | |
| Staff Writer |
A new regulatory framework is being put in place by the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE) which is developing a hydrogen policy that will accelerate its position as a global market leader in the hydrogen market as the demand for clean fuel surges globally amid decarbonization efforts. The framework is set to introduce a low carbon hydrogen certification policy, licensing regulations, and standards and technicalities that would help define the sector.
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“With the emergence of hydrogen as a clean energy option, Abu Dhabi is relying on its resources and capabilities to form a national hydrogen strategy and become a leader in the international hydrogen market,” Ahmed Al Rumaithi, undersecretary of the DoE, told state news agency Wam in an interview.
Globally, the hydrogen industry is expected to be worth $183 billion by 2023, which makes the need for such frameworks more of a mandate than an option. French investment bank Natixis has estimated that globally, the investment in hydrogen would cross the $300bn mark by 2030.
Abu Dhabi has made “remarkable progress” in the field of hydrogen, taking advantage of the abundance of solar power and increasingly low-cost renewable energy, Mr Al Rumaithi said.
“One of the important initiatives was the launch of the Abu Dhabi Hydrogen Alliance … to consolidate our international leadership in hydrogen and develop the local hydrogen economy.”
The UAE has joined the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy, according to the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure. Under the agreement, the alliance will develop a road map to accelerate the UAE’s adoption of hydrogen in major sectors such as utilities, mobility, etc.
Abu Dhabi is also trying its best to be recognised as “a trusted leader of low-carbon green and blue hydrogen in emerging international markets” given the presence of large reserves of natural gas across the energy chain, its advanced infrastructure, extensive export experience and its central location among large demand markets.
The UAE aims to capture about 25 percent of the global hydrogen market. The Emirates has also joined the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE), the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure has confirmed.
“We are working hard to upgrade the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, to drive our aim to become among the leading countries in the field of hydrogen energy,” Mr Al Olama said.