Around the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, two Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) were signed by Siemens Energy with Mubadala Investment Company as well as with Masdar and other partners to jointly drive UAE’s green hydrogen sector and the production of synthetic fuels.
On 17 January, Siemens Energy and Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala), the Abu Dhabi state-owned global investment firm, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the intention of creating a strategic partnership to drive investment and development of advanced technology, manufacture of equipment, and green hydrogen and synthetic fuel production. The initial focus of activity will be in Abu Dhabi and over time it is planned that this will be extended to other international markets.
“Mubadala is strongly committed to the development of the UAE’s hydrogen economy, and we are pleased to be extending our relationship with Siemens Energy in this important emerging energy sector” said Musabbeh Al Kaabi, Chief Executive Officer of UAE Investments at Mubadala Investment Company. “Through this strategic partnership, we expect to be able to leverage Abu Dhabi’s strong foundations for the production and sale of green hydrogen, prove a strong business case and attract investment for the development of new facilities, and establish Abu Dhabi as a reliable supplier of green hydrogen to emerging global markets.”
Within the partnership the companies will work closely towards the following goals:
Utilising renewable energy to produce green hydrogen and derivatives, including synthetic fuels, providing clean and transportable energy to fuel new hydrogen-based ecosystems that are supplied from the UAE
Establish Abu Dhabi as a world class player in green hydrogen and synthetic fuels
Jointly advance technology and drive down the costs of green hydrogen and synthetic fuels production
Enable Siemens Energy and Mubadala to access emerging hydrogen markets and create value for both parties
The first initiative under this agreement and the broader Abu Dhabi Hydrogen Alliance will be the consideration of a demonstrator plant located at Masdar City, to be developed under a specific agreement between Siemens Energy and Masdar, together partners.
Together with Masdar, one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies, Siemens Energy has also announced that it is joining forces with the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy, Etihad Airways, Lufthansa, Marubeni Corporation and Khalifa University on an ambitious project that will help pave the way for the development of the UAE’s green hydrogen economy.
The organisations signed an MoU with the intent to establish a photovoltaic (PV) powered electrolyser facility, to demonstrate state-of-the-art green hydrogen production technology and present sustainable fuel use cases.
The first phase of the demonstration programme will focus on the production of green hydrogen for passenger cars and buses in the Masdar City area. In parallel, a kerosene synthesis plant will be built to convert the majority of the green hydrogen into sustainable aviation fuel. In the second phase of the programme, the production of decarbonised fuels for the maritime sector will be explored. Through the program, the organisations involved can help to significantly reduce the UAE’s carbon footprint, create domestic demand for sustainable fuels, and establish a local knowledge and industry base for their production.
“Green hydrogen has the potential to become the foundation fuel for a future clean economy and will be a game-changer for decarbonisation strategies as we look to achieve climate goals and deliver a more sustainable future for all” said Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer, Masdar. “Masdar has been exploring hydrogen production and generation for more than a decade – today we believe the time is right to accelerate investment in this technology.”
Thomas Bareiß, Parliamentary State Secretary at Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, said he was pleased to witness these cooperation agreements that underline the strategic partnership between Germany and the UAE in the field of hydrogen.
“It offers great potential for decarbonisation and economic cooperation between our countries and companies” Mr Bareiß said. “The new agreements are not only groundbreaking with regard to goals within the framework of our hydrogen strategy, they also underline the value of the German-Emirati energy partnership, which the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy is supporting. Already since 2016, sustainable, efficient and renewable energy technologies and services have been actively promoted through bilateral exchanges”.
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