UAE state-owned clean energy developer Masdar has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Port of Amsterdam and three Dutch companies to develop an export route for green hydrogen produced in Abu Dhabi to Europe.

The Dutch companies involved are sustainable aviation fuel supplier SkyNRG and storage terminal operators Evos Amsterdam and Zenith Energy.

1mn t/yr – Masdar 2030 green hydrogen production goal

“This agreement builds on the existing relationship between the UAE and the Netherlands and demonstrates our mutual commitment to exploring low- and zero-carbon energy solutions,” says Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, the UAE’s minister of industry and advanced technology and recently appointed chair of Cop28.

“The UAE aims to play a central role in the emerging green hydrogen economy and this partnership with the Port of Amsterdam and associated players in the green hydrogen space would help position Abu Dhabi as a key hub for green hydrogen development,” he adds.

The MoU involves the exploration of several transport options, but the focus will be on exports of liquid hydrogen and liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC).

The target offtake markets will be sustainable aviation fuels, steelmaking and bunkering. The hydrogen will also be supplied to other emerging offtakers in Europe via pipeline, truck and barge, the companies say.

“We are very pleased with this new collaboration. SkyNRG, Evos and Zenith Energy are driving forces behind the hydrogen developments in the Port of Amsterdam and they are key in our goal of importing at least 1mn to of green hydrogen annually,” says Koen Overtoom, CEO of the Port of Amsterdam. The port announced last October that it would develop an LOHC terminal and a 100–500t/d dehydrogenation plant by 2028.

New hydrogen focus

In December, Masdar announced a new shareholding structure and green hydrogen business unit, with a goal of achieving 100GW of renewable energy capacity and 1mn t/yr of green hydrogen production by 2030.

The company is involved in several green hydrogen projects. It has signed agreements with Egyptian state-backed organisations targeting an electrolyser capacity of 4GW in the country and output of up to 480,000t/yr of green hydrogen by 2030.

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Author: Stuart Penson