Oman Welcomes World’s First Liquefied Hydrogen Ship as it Aims to Boost Fuel Capacity

Oman Welcomes World’s First Liquefied Hydrogen Ship as it Aims to Boost Fuel Capacity

Oman on Wednesday welcomed the world’s first liquefied hydrogen carrier ship Suiso Frontier at Sultan Qaboos Port in Muscat, the state-owned news agency reported.

The Japanese tanker, which reached the Gulf nation as part of its Middle East tour, was manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and is operated by Shell Japan.

With a cargo capacity of up to 1,250 cubic metres, the ship is considered an experimental station on which to boost research and development in the field of hydrogen. It was built at a cost of nearly $359 million, Oman News Agency said.

Oman’s Minister of Energy and Minerals Salim Nasser Al Aufi toured the ship. The sultanate is on track to become one of the largest producers of hydrogen in the world by 2030, the International Energy Agency said in a June report.

The country, which could also be the top exporter of low-carbon fuel in the Middle East by the end of the decade, benefits from ample renewable energy sources and vast tracts of available land, the energy agency said.

Hydrogen, which can be produced from renewable energy and natural gas, is expected to become a critical fuel as economies and industries transition to a low-carbon world.

It comes in various forms, including