The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Ministry of Energy and Minerals abd Hydrogen Oman “Hydrom” signed a Joint Study Agreement (JSA) with the Port of Amsterdam, Zenith Energy Terminals and GasLog, to collaborate on the development of a liquid hydrogen route to market for green hydrogen produced in Oman and its export to the Port of Amsterdam and Europe.

The Agreement was signed at Oman’s pavilion in COP28 in Dubai. The signing ceremony was attended by Eng. Salim Nasser Al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals and Prince Jaime de Bourbon de Parme, the Climate Envoy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

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

The primary aim of the Agreement is to establish a green hydrogen corridor between the Sultanate of Oman and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with the terminal of Zenith Energy as the destination for the import, regasification and further distribution of Oman-produced hydrogen to both local offtakers within the port of Amsterdam, as well as large industries in the European hinterland.

The open-access liquefaction facility will also enable the government of the Sultanate of Oman to explore cost effective hydrogen export corridors to other global markets.

The government of the Sultanate of Oman has pursued a hydrogen strategy that seeks to capitalize on the country’s abundant (wind and sun) natural resources and existing port and industrial infrastructures. Moreover, its geographical location puts Oman in a prime position to supply the European and the Asian markets.

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

Eng. Abdulaziz Al Shidhani, Managing Director of Hydrom said “As countries around the world race to achieve a hydrogen-based economy, the fundamental challenges of storing and transporting hydrogen on large scale remain open. Oman is building an economically sustainable future by establishing a fully integrated hydrogen ecosystem. This joining of efforts with the Port of Amsterdam, Zenith Energy Terminals and GasLog will help bring us one step closer to our shared goal.”