Oman’s Vision for Liquid Hydrogen Corridor to Europe Gets Fresh Boost

Oman’s bid to explore the potential for establishing a liquid hydrogen corridor to Europe has received a significant boost. A key partner in the initiative has announced a further tie-up aimed at taking large-scale liquid hydrogen deployment global. Last December, the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, together with Hydrogen Oman (Hydrom) – the orchestrator of Oman’s green hydrogen industry – signed a Joint Study Agreement (JSA) with Port of Amsterdam of the Netherlands, Zenith Energy Terminals (a leading international energy and chemicals storage player) and GasLog (specialist in LNG logistics), to collaborate on the development of a liquid hydrogen route for the supply of locally produced green hydrogen to markets in Europe. The agreement, signed on the margins of the COP28 Summit in Dubai, was hailed as a landmark effort to enable the creation of the world’s first commercial scale liquid hydrogen corridor. As part of the pact, the parties have committed to collaborating on the development of an open-access hydrogen liquefaction, storage and export facility in Oman.

GasLog, for its part, has pledged to provide specialized vessels it is currently developing for the transportation of liquid hydrogen. Zenith Energy Terminals will offer its expansive assets in the Port of Amsterdam as a hub for the import, regasification and further distribution of Oman-produced hydrogen to both local offtakers within the port of Amsterdam, as well as large industries in the European hinterland. Signaling further promise for the success of the initiative, GasLog recently announced its collaboration with Chart Industries, a leading global solutions provider in clean energy and industrial gas markets, to study the development of a commercial-scale liquid hydrogen supply chain. Through this collaboration, GasLog aims to benefit from Chart’s extensive experience in cryogenics and large-scale liquefaction solutions for the global distribution of liquid hydrogen. US-headquartered Chart Industries specializes in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of process technologies and equipment for gas and liquid molecule handling for the clean power sector.

Oman’s ambitions to establish a viable supply chain based on the transportation of liquid hydrogen to the Netherlands, among other potential destinations in Europe and the Far East, will represent a major game-changer for the large-scale uptake of this zero-carbon fuel resource in these markets. If successful, it will enable the efficient and cost-competitive transportation of liquid hydrogen over long distances. Alternative options presently available for the transportation of green hydrogen, such as in the form of green ammonia, methanol, or other hydrogen carriers, are seen as relatively uneconomical due to the additional costs and energy losses incurred when reconverting these commodities back into hydrogen. The lion’s share of Oman’s targeted production of 1 million tonnes per annum of green hydrogen capacity by 2030 is earmarked for export to overseas market – a goal that will be further strengthened once liquid hydrogen transportation is proven to be viable and cost-effective.