Oman receives interest from green hydrogen investors for mega-blocks

Oman receives interest from green hydrogen investors for mega-blocks

Oman said it had received plenty of interest from international energy companies for two green-hydrogen concessions that will be awarded early next year and which may require around $10 billion of investment.

The government plans to choose winning bidders by the end of March for the blocks near the port of Duqm. Investors will develop the areas with solar panels and wind turbines to power massive electrolyzers and create green hydrogen, a fuel seen as crucial for the global transition to cleaner energy.

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Oman is one of several Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Morocco, seeking to become major exporters of green hydrogen in the next decade. The fuel doesn’t emit any planet-warming gases when burned, though it is still far more expensive to produce than oil and natural gas.

More than 40 companies, including TotalEnergies SE and BP Plc, have purchased request-for-qualification documents for the Omani blocks, an early step before formally bidding.

“All the big names are on the list, Energy Minister Salim al-Aufi said in an interview in Muscat, the capital. “What makes Oman attractive is the co-existence of solar and wind resources and the