Oman on track for green hydrogen expansion, says Minister for Energy & Minerals

Oman on track for green hydrogen expansion, says Minister for Energy & Minerals

Oman has accelerated its infrastructure development and the forging of global partnerships for green hydrogen expansion, Salim bin Nasser al-Aufi, the sultanate’s Minister for Energy & Minerals said Sunday on the sidelines of the Doha Forum.

Speaking at a panel discussion titled ‘Energy Transition: Powering up Green Cooperation between Europe and the Gulf’, al-Aufi emphasised that Oman is gearing up to become a global hub for green hydrogen production.

“Since late last year, we announced that Oman is positioning itself to become a global hub for hydrogen, specifically green hydrogen, both for local and international consumption,” he said, noting that 50,000sq km of land was dedicated primarily for the production of green hydrogen, utilising renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind.

“We think the area is extremely competitive; it’s probably one of the top four or five locations globally that can offer the lowest possible cost of hydrogen,” al-Aufi explained, adding that Oman has initiated a transparent and open auction system, resulting in signed agreements that position the country to achieve almost 50% to 60% of its 2030 target of 1mn tonnes of hydrogen production.

Al-Aufi said, “Our ultimate target, of course, is much bigger than that. We believe if all these lands