The collaboration is aimed at paving the way for large-scale imports of liquid hydrogen into Europe. It was signed during the state visit of His Majesty the Sultan of Oman to the Netherlands, in the presence of Reinette Klever, the Minister of Foreign Trade.
The agreement was signed by a total of eleven parties, including organisations such as Hydrom (forerunner in the field of green hydrogen in Oman), OQ (energy company of Oman), Tata Steel Nederland, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG and Hynetwork Services (subsidiary of Gasunie).
The collaboration is focused on the two companies bringing various links in the supply chain to utilise proven technologies for liquefying the hydrogen, transport, storage and distribution.
In a major breakthrough for clean energy logistics, ECOLOG has developed an innovative ship designed to transport hydrogen by sea without evaporation losses. This cutting-edge technology ensures that 100% of the cargo reaches its destination, eliminating waste and significantly reducing shipping costs.
With this innovative technology, the costs for transporting the hydrogen are significantly reduced.
The Joint Development Agreement includes multiple key elements. One of these involves establishing a hydrogen liquefaction and export facility at Oman’s Port of Duqm. Additionally, negotiations are underway regarding the pricing and delivery of liquid hydrogen to buyers in the Amsterdam area, other parts of the Netherlands, and Germany.
Efforts are also focused on building infrastructure along the entire supply chain, featuring export and import terminals at the ports of Duqm, Amsterdam, and Duisburg, as well as diverse distribution methods including pipelines, rail links, and inland waterway transport—for both gaseous and liquid hydrogen across the Netherlands and its surrounding regions.
Hans van den Berg – CEO, Tata Steel Nederland said, “From our role as a major potential buyer, we can contribute to the development of a sustainable economy based on green hydrogen in our region. In this way, we not only make our own production process more sustainable, but we also build a new ecosystem together with other companies.”
Minister Sophie Hermans says, “By connecting Omani green hydrogen to the European energy needs, we are jointly taking steps towards our climate goals and the creation of a sustainable energy supply.”
“This agreement is considered a milestone for our ambitions in the field of clean energy, ” he added. For Oman, the agreement is an important step in its ambition to become the world leader in the export of green hydrogen.
Omani Minister of Energy and Minerals, HE Eng. Salim Nasser Al Aufi opined that this partnership demonstrates Oman’s commitment in leading a role in the global green hydrogen economy, while strengthening our ties with Europe in support of the sustainable energy transition.
The agreement strengthens the current collaboration between Hydrom, Oman’s Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Port of Amsterdam, ECOLOG, and EnBW to advance this hydrogen corridor. This move significantly accelerates the timeline for large-scale green hydrogen exports from Oman to Europe, targeting 2029 as the start date.
Source: tata steel