Green hydrogen.. 9 Arab countries charting the future of new energy

These countries shape the future of production green hydrogen In the Middle East, they are: Egypt, the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Oman, Iraq, Algeria, Qatar and Mauritania, according to a study issued by the Egyptian Center for Strategic Studies.

The nine countries signed global memoranda of understanding for the production and use of green hydrogen; Which raised the number of projects in this field in the region to 34 projects.

and occupied green ammonia Hydrogen ranks first with a total of 23 projects, while 9 projects are based on expanding the production of blue hydrogen and its derivatives such as blue ammonia, and there are two projects to use hydrogen as a fuel in fuel cell vehicles, according to the study.

20 billion dollars in Egypt

In July 2021, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi directed the preparation of a national strategy for the production of green hydrogen; Being the environmentally friendly fuel of the future.

Egypt intends to add green hydrogen energy to the integrated energy system for the year 2035, which is planned to be launched within months at a value of $40 billion.

The cost of green hydrogen projects in Egypt – without additional infrastructure – is expected to reach $20 billion, according to Ahmed Sultan, an engineer specializing in oil and energy affairs, to Sky News Arabia.

Sultan explains that “the mega projects in Egypt have attracted the attention of world investors due to the success of the Egyptian energy sector and the availability of positive factors, on top of which is Egypt’s strategic location and its proximity to the European Union and the Middle East markets, which may witness a great demand for hydrogen, in addition to the natural gas infrastructure and power plants. Giant liquefaction, seaports, etc.

Most notable projects

The Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and Energy announced the update of the “Energy Strategy 2035” to include green hydrogen as its source.

It also signed a memorandum of understanding with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to finance advisory work for the preparation of the national hydrogen strategy, and a joint development agreement for a project to establish and operate a 100-megawatt green hydrogen production facility in the Ain Sukhna Industrial Zone of the Suez Canal Economic Zone.

Among the agreements and memoranda of understanding in this field are also a memorandum of understanding between the Sovereign Fund of Egypt, the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company, the New and Renewable Energy Authority, the Emirati Masdar Company, and Hassan Allam Utilities.

The Masdar and Hassan Allam companies will form a strategic alliance to develop green hydrogen production plants in the Suez Canal Economic Zone and on the Mediterranean coast, with phases extending until 2030, to produce 480,000 tons of green hydrogen annually, through electrolyzers with a capacity of 4 gigawatts.

The General Authority for the Economic Zone of the Suez Canal, the Sovereign Fund of Egypt, the New and Renewable Energy Authority, the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company, and Maersk International have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a project to produce green fuels for ship catering supplies and reach carbon neutrality.

According to Sultan, the capacity of green hydrogen projects in Egypt has reached 11.62 gigawatts, or more than 1.5 million tons; This will put Egypt in first place in the world after Australia and in parallel with Mauritania.

500 projects

Globally, the number of green hydrogen projects has exceeded 500 global projects, with total investments exceeding $530 billion. The number of countries interested in preparing national strategies and development plans for its production has reached 40 countries.

According to the 2021 International Renewable Energy Agency report, the annual production rate of hydrogen (by natural gas and fossil coal) has exceeded 120 million tons.

This method accounts for more than 95% of global hydrogen production, and the estimated production of clean hydrogen is likely to reach 700 million tons by 2050.