Round 3 of green hydrogen projects unveiled

Muscat: Hydrogen Oman Company “Hydrom” today unveiled the 3rd round of public bidding on lands for green hydrogen projects in the Sultanate of Oman. The bidding round will start in early 2025.

This was announced during the “Investor Day” event which was organised by Hydrom. The event is first-of-its-kind and it saw the participation of 400 investors and leaders in the sector from all over the world.

The participants aimed to explore new strategic investment opportunities in the green hydrogen sector in Oman. They were also introduced to the role of the government in contributing to the global energy transition through the achievements that were realized in this sphere.

The upcoming bidding round targets attracting international and local investors, while giving priority to boosting in-country value (ICV) and ensuring the readiness of the infrastructure.

It is expected that bidding will start in the first quarter of 2025, with the winning projects will be announced between the last quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026.

Eng. Salem Nasser Al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hydrom, said: The announcement of plans for the third round of bidding shows the Sultanate of Oman’s commitment to continue developing this promising sector according to thoughtful steps and a strategic vision. The minister added that the focus will be on enhancing the real value of each project in terms of sustainability, technological innovation or economic impact. This can be achieved by utilizing the Sultanate of Oman’s renewable resources and its geographical location.

The working sessions discussed the topic of ongoing cooperation to develop the liquid hydrogen corridor, which was launched during COP28 through a study agreement with the Port of Amsterdam, Ecolog and NBW Energy.

The Minister stressed that this cooperation has achieved an important accomplishment represented in the completion of a study that confirmed the feasibility of establishing specialized transport ships to export liquefied hydrogen.

He pointed out that Duqm Port is a strategic hub for such efforts, as it supports the export of green hydrogen from the Sultanate of Oman to European markets via the Port of Amsterdam, and to Asia-Pacific markets via Singapore.

On his turn, Eng. Abdulaziz Said Al Shidhani, Managing Director of Hydrome, explained that the wide participation in the Investor Day event that was organized by Hydrom reflected the extent of global interest and confidence in the vision of the Sultanate of Oman to develop a green hydrogen economy.

The event, he added, represented a valuable opportunity to exchange visions and enhance dialogue with global partners on developing the sector.