Dubai implements the first green hydrogen project in the MENA region
The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Expo Dubai 2020 and Siemens Energy have inaugurated the first industrial-scale solar-powered green hydrogen project in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Power will be provided by the Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum (MBR) Solar Park, which currently has a capacity of 1,013MW and the pilot plant is expected to produce around 20.5kg of hydrogen per hour.
The project involves the production of green hydrogen from solar energy, as well as storage and electrification, enabling the buffering of renewable energy production for both rapid response applications and long-term storage. The plant has been built to accommodate future applications and test platforms for the different uses of hydrogen, including potential mobility and industrial uses. It will promote the use and licensing of hydrogen fuel-related vehicles, facilities and equipment and contribute to achieving the goal of producing 75% of Dubai's total energy capacity from clean energy sources by 2050.
Siemens said the operational experience gained from the project will be "invaluable" in the development of sustainable, carbon-free solutions for numerous industries. In the context of low-cost solar PV in the Middle East, the company said hydrogen could open up energy export opportunities for those areas with access to abundant renewable energy resources.
DEWA CEO Saeed Mohammed al-Tayer said the project "is a model for strategic public-private partnerships to follow". He also noted that 2021 has seen significant developments in the hydrogen sector. Meanwhile, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum recently approved a hydrogen fuel vehicle scheme, which aims to develop the green hydrogen economy in the UAE, open up local markets to hydrogen vehicles and encourage an increase in environmentally friendly vehicles.
"According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), demand for hydrogen as an energy source has tripled in recent decades, with global production estimated at 70 million metric tons per year. As a result, hydrogen production costs are projected to fall by 64% by 2040. DEWA's inauguration of the Green Hydrogen project represents a major milestone in positioning the UAE on the global hydrogen market map. The project will reinforce the country's efforts to protect the environment, combat climate change and achieve carbon neutrality," added Dr Abdullah Belhaif al-Nuaimi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment.
Dr Christian Bruch stressed that "as the first industrial-scale facility to produce green hydrogen in the Middle East and North Africa, this is an important milestone in the energy transformation. We look forward to working together to decarbonise industries that are difficult to decarbonise with renewable energy alone".
Some 1,850MW of solar capacity is currently under construction at the MBR megaproject, which will reach 5GW when fully operational in 2030 and will be the world's largest single-site solar plant. DEWA is scheduled to commission the 300MW first stage of the fifth phase of the MBR solar farm in July, which will have a capacity of 900MW and will feature JinkoSolar's bifacial modules.
In addition, the electricity generated by the MBR project is also being used to produce aluminium, after an agreement was reached earlier this year between DEWA and Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA). The project will supply EGA's smelter with 560MWh of power each year, enough for the production of 40,000 tonnes of aluminium. The UAE will also host another green hydrogen project in Abu Dhabi that will see a consortium including Siemens Energy and Masdar initially focus on producing green hydrogen for cars and buses.
