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Masdar-led initiative to develop green hydrogen in Abu Dhabi

Published by , Editorial Assistant
Energy Global,


Masdar, one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies, has announced that it is joining forces with Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, Etihad Airways, Lufthansa Group, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Siemens Energy, and Marubeni Corporation, in an initiative designed to support the development of the green hydrogen economy in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Senior Executives from each organisation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at a virtual signing ceremony on 17 January 2021, held prior to the start of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), taking place virtually in the UAE capital.

The initiative aims to establish a demonstrator plant at Masdar City, Abu Dhabi’s flagship sustainable urban development community, to explore the development of green hydrogen, sustainable fuels and e-kerosene production for transport, shipping, and aviation. Masdar, Siemens and Marubeni will jointly develop the infrastructure to implement the demonstration project and each of these companies will contribute to secure the needed funding.

The project represents the first concrete step under a strategic partnership between Mubadala Investment Company, the sole shareholder of Masdar, and Siemens Energy, intended to accelerate green hydrogen capabilities in Abu Dhabi. That partnership sits under the overarching framework for the development of the UAE hydrogen economy, the Abu Dhabi Hydrogen Alliance, formed under an MoU between Mubadala, ADNOC, and ADQ.

Attending the signing ceremony was His Excellency Mohamed Bin Jarsh Al Falasi, Undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy. His Excellency said, “The MoU on Hydrogen Cooperation between Siemens, Etihad Airways, Lufthansa Group, Masdar, Marubeni, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, and the Department of Energy reflects our collective commitment to developing a hydrogen ecosystem in Abu Dhabi. The emirate is well positioned to exploit this modern fuel and drive the growth of the hydrogen market both in the MENA region and globally. Importantly, adding hydrogen to our energy mix in Abu Dhabi will support our economic diversification and sustainable development strategies.”

Hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, can be used as a substitute for fossil fuels in a wide variety of applications. Green hydrogen – produced through renewable energy – is likely to play a critical role in decarbonisation strategies in a number of industries, including long-haul transport, shipping and aviation, where direct electrification is more challenging. Green hydrogen could compete on costs with fossil fuel alternatives by 2030, if its development is properly supported, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

While the demonstration programme could potentially reduce CO2 emissions by 43 000 t over its initial five-year implementation period, if the demonstrated technologies for mobility, shipping and aviation were to be adopted and used for just one tenth of energy demand in those sectors, as much as 10 million tpy of CO2 emissions could be avoided.

ADSW, which has been reimagined as a virtual event for 2021, begins on 18 January 2021 and runs through to January 21 2021. ADSW 2021 will feature a series of high-level virtual events, including the ADSW Summit, IRENA Assembly, Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum, Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum, Youth 4 Sustainability Virtual Forums and the World Future Energy Summit Webinars.

Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/other-renewables/21012021/masdar-led-initiative-to-develop-green-hydrogen-in-abu-dhabi/

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