United Arab Emirates

Country: United Arab Emirates

Document type: Hydrogen Leadership Roadmap (State media agency report)

Released: November 2021

Summary Points:

The release of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Hydrogen Leadership Roadmap in November 2021 follows the October 2021 release of the UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative.

In State media agency reporting, the roadmap includes three main objectives:

  • Unlocking new sources of value through the exports of low-carbon hydrogen, derivatives and products
  • Fostering new hydrogen derivative opportunities through low-carbon steel, sustainable kerosene as well as other priority UAE industries, and
  • Contributing to the UAE’s 2050 net zero commitments.

Key enablers to support low-carbon hydrogen development and deployment include:

  • A clear regulatory framework backed by policies, incentives, standards, and certifications.
  • Best-in-class technology through value-add partnerships and the vibrant and robust UAE domestic research and development structure.
  • Access to existing and new Government-to-Government relationships to accelerate growth of a domestic ecosystem.
  • Readily available land and infrastructure resources to support domestic production, and
  • Green financing within the UAE and in international capital markets.

The State media agency reports that the UAE has an ambition to be a global leader in low-carbon hydrogen noting there are more than seven projects underway that will target 25 percent market share in key export markets, including Japan, South Korea, Germany, and India initially along with additional high-potential markets in Europe and East Asia.

In November 2021, the governments of the UAE and Germany discussed ways of establishing a framework for launching new action plans in the energy sector as part of the completion of the “Declaration of Intent” of the joint cooperation signed by both countries in 2017. Among the new actions includes the formation of an action team specialised in hydrogen and artificial fuel to support plans to increase clean energy production.

In September 2022, it was reported the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure signed an agreement with Australia’s GHD in partnership with the German-based Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft to develop a National Hydrogen Strategy. In March 2023, it was reported the UAE would launch its National Hydrogen Strategy in April 2023.

In July 2023, media reports indicated, based on a press conference by UAE officials, that the UAE Government had approved a new national hydrogen strategy that envisages 1.4 million tonnes of green hydrogen production by 2031 and 15 million tonnes by 2050. Details of the national hydrogen strategy, originally due to be published in April 2023, were not publicly available at the time though UAE officials reportedly indicated that the UAE intends to develop at least two hydrogen “oases”, or production hubs, by 2031 with an ambition to developing three more by 2050.

 

Uploaded: July 2023