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Masdar to invest heavily in green hydrogen projects: Chief Green Hydrogen Officer

Move will consolidate Abu Dhabi's role as a key player in the green hydrogen sector

Masdar is ramping up its investments in green hydrogen by establishing a dedicated unit to develop specialised projects in this sector locally, regionally, and globally.

This move will reinforce Masdar's leading position in developing renewable and clean energy projects worldwide and consolidate Abu Dhabi's pioneering role as a key player in the green hydrogen sector.

Mohammad Abdelqader El Ramahi, Chief Green Hydrogen Officer, said in statements to Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, that this period is the best time to implement these projects in the UAE, aiming to allocate half of the targeted production capacity according to Masdar's announced strategy by 2030-2033, which is one million tonnes per year of green hydrogen and its derivatives.

El Ramahi explained that half of this quantity has been allocated for development in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, equivalent to 500,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually, which will enhance Abu Dhabi's leading role as one of the world's main hubs for green hydrogen production. He pointed out that the development of these projects has already begun in early January 2023.

He noted that Masdar has a pilot project with a production capacity of over 2 megawatts of electrolyzers that will be dedicated to producing green iron in cooperation with Emirates Steel Arkan. He added that the purpose of this project is to experiment with hydrogen and ensure its effectiveness and economic feasibility.

El Ramahi continued, "We are working to expand this project in the second phase, where we aim to raise efficiency to reach approximately 100 megawatts, but this figure is still under study and development."

He pointed out that Masdar's other green hydrogen projects in the Arab Republic of Egypt reach 4,000 megawatts of electrolysers, and the same in Morocco, in addition to our ambition to expand in Europe, America, and Balkan countries such as Azerbaijan and neighbouring countries, and to utilise the company's effective presence in more than 40 countries around the world with an investment portfolio of over US$30 billion and a production capacity of 20 gigawatts.

He indicated that Masdar is also trying to look for investment opportunities in regional countries, including the Sultanate of Oman, in light of its efforts through the development of these projects to prove the economic feasibility of green hydrogen projects as the fuel of the future.

Masdar's Chief Green Hydrogen Officer said that the green hydrogen sector is one of the new emerging sectors globally that promises a promising future with investments reaching US$11 trillion by 2050, according to World Bank estimates. He pointed out that this sector will help the international community in addressing the repercussions of climate change and neutralising the carbon footprint globally.

El Ramahi indicated that Masdar is focusing on developing its green hydrogen projects in Europe, especially as it has reached a level of maturity in governance frameworks, through which it seeks to apply stricter standards regarding the carbon footprint.