Efforts Aim to Create a Direct Export Route from Oman to Amsterdam Port
MUSCAT: Oman is making significant strides in establishing itself as a leading exporter of liquefied hydrogen (LH2), with feasibility studies confirming the project’s viability.
At the World Hydrogen MENA Congress in Dubai last week, Rumaitha al Busaidi, Business and ICV Development Manager at Hydrom, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to developing a complete liquid hydrogen supply chain targeting European markets.
“We believe liquid hydrogen is a feasible solution,” Al Busaidi stated, highlighting Oman’s goal of becoming one of the world’s top green hydrogen producers by 2030. The project, led by Hydrom alongside the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Athens-based Ecolog, and German power company EnBW, aims to establish a seamless export route from Oman to the Port of Amsterdam.
Building the Hydrogen Corridor
The initiative stems from the Joint Study Agreement (JSA) signed during COP28 in 2023, involving Oman, the Port of Amsterdam, Zenith Energy Terminals, and GasLog. This collaboration explores the creation of a liquid hydrogen export chain. The proposed liquefaction facility in Duqm will process hydrogen at -253°C, enabling it to be transported via specialized Ecolog vessels, each carrying up to 2,000 tonnes per shipment.
Upon arrival in Amsterdam, the hydrogen will either be regasified and delivered to German industries via pipeline or distributed as liquid hydrogen within the Netherlands. The Port of Amsterdam’s hydrogen terminal will also play a crucial role in exporting captured CO₂ from European industries back to Oman, for either potential use or sequestration.
Insights from GH2 Investor Day
At the GH2 Investor Day in December 2024, Oman’s hydrogen ambitions were highlighted further. Al Busaidi and Ellen Ruhotas, Head of Hydrogen Midstream at Ecolog, provided an in-depth look at the project’s development. They emphasized the importance of bridging the midstream gap between hydrogen-rich producers like Oman and emerging demand centers in Europe.
Al Busaidi reflected, “The journey began when two nations decided to collaborate and turn this vision into reality,” underscoring the mutual interest between Oman and the Netherlands. The event also addressed the engineering complexity of scaling liquefaction and shipping technologies to support a commercial hydrogen market.
Engineering and Market Challenges
The project targets industries hard to electrify, such as brick and glass manufacturing, data centers, and food processing, where demand for green hydrogen is increasing. One of the main challenges is minimizing hydrogen losses during transportation, as hydrogen’s low density makes efficient shipping more difficult compared to LNG.
Despite these challenges, feasibility studies show strong commercial potential, and Europe’s growing demand for clean hydrogen further bolsters the project’s viability. Al Busaidi emphasized that the project covers the entire hydrogen value chain—from production to liquefaction, transport, and distribution—ensuring cost-effectiveness and efficiency at each stage.