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UAE Aims For Global Leadership In Low Carbon And Clean Hydrogen Through National Hydrogen Strategy | |
| Staff Writer |
Aiming to accelerate the UAE’s national hydrogen strategy and help the nation attain global leadership in low-carbon and clean hydrogen, The Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE) today announced that the development of its hydrogen policy and regulatory framework in association with key Abu Dhabi government and private sector stakeholders including ADNOC, Mubadala, Masdar, ADQ, TAQA, Emirates Water and Electricity Company, Abu Dhabi Ports, Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, Department of Economic Development, Department of Municipalities and Transport, Department of Finance and Environment Agency.
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A policy and regulatory framework are essential to ensure sustainable developments and to position Abu Dhabi as a leader in the production and usage of hydrogen worldwide and DoE expects to report on the outcomes of the policy and the regulatory framework before the end of 2022.
Eng. Ahmed Mohammed Belajer Al Rumaithi, Undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, said: “A vibrant low carbon hydrogen production and consumption industry will place Abu Dhabi and the UAE at the global forefront of countries producing green energy.
“It can potentially increase low-carbon hydrogen production in Abu Dhabi to more than a million tonnes per annum by 2030.”
The Hydrogen Council reported in 2021 that hydrogen is an aspiration for the world as a future energy source. Over 30 countries have released hydrogen roadmaps, and the industry has announced more than 200 hydrogen projects and ambitious investment plans. Total investments can exceed US$300 billion in hydrogen spending through 2030 – the equivalent of 1.4% of global energy funding.
According to the Hydrogen Council, worldwide production of hydrogen has already reached 70 million tonnes per year but 96 percent of this is grey hydrogen, produced from steam reformation of methane and costs about US$1 per kg. Blue hydrogen, which relies on carbon capture and storage technologies to remove emissions from grey hydrogen, costs around US$2 per kg. Whereas green hydrogen, produced by electrolyzers derived from renewable electricity, costs at least US$4 per kg. Lastly, there is pink hydrogen, produced as an offshoot of nuclear power.
ADNOC has announced plans to increase its carbon capture capacity five-fold from 800,000 tonnes to five million tonnes by 2030. This will make Abu Dhabi one of the world’s lowest-cost and largest producers of blue hydrogen.
With its abundance of land, water, and solar electricity, Abu Dhabi is committed to being a global supplier of green hydrogen
Al Rumaithi said: “The UAE announced a high-level Hydrogen Roadmap at COP26 in Glasgow, and the DoE is working closely with all stakeholders to leverage our resources and capabilities to position our country as a world-leading low-carbon hydrogen hub, a key trade partner and supplier of low carbon hydrogen. Among key strategic approaches identified in the framework are global collaboration in research and innovation, and we are open to international partnerships to further build and improve our regulatory and policymaking capacity to drive the low-carbon hydrogen transition. We are exploring opportunities for the exchange of next-generation hydrogen technologies with international providers and research institutions.”