Collaboration between KAUST, HEFARI, and NEOM to speed up the adoption of hydrogen-based economy in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia and KAUST Partner to Advance Green Hydrogen Economy
Saudi Arabia is making significant strides towards its ambitious goal of becoming a global leader in green hydrogen production and export, with the help of key partnerships and research initiatives. The King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is at the forefront of these efforts, working in collaboration with NEOM's Education, Research, and Innovation Foundation (ERIF) and ENOWA.
The strategic partnership, centred on developing Saudi Arabia's green hydrogen economy, has clear goals and timelines primarily aligned with Vision 2030. Key milestones include the completion of the NEOM Green Hydrogen Project's core infrastructure by mid-2025, the commissioning of electrolysers and first green ammonia production in 2027, and the aim to become the world's largest green hydrogen exporter by 2030, with an annual production of 1.2 million tons.
The Hydrogen and e-Fuels Applied Research Institute (HEFARI) at NEOM has sponsored three strategic projects under its umbrella with KAUST researchers. These projects are focused on developing hydrogen as a renewable energy vector, and are led by Professor William Roberts, Professor Mani Sarathy, and Assistant Professor Thibault Guiberti.
Professor Roberts is working on carbon-neutral fuels for marine engines, in response to new regulations aimed at decarbonizing maritime transport. Professor Sarathy is focused on lowering the cost of large-scale electrolyzer technologies for cleaner hydrogen production. Meanwhile, Assistant Professor Guiberti is working on reducing the undesirable emissions from engines and turbines that use green ammonia as a fuel.
The Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Renewables and Energy Storage at KAUST will include hydrogen-related research activities. The CoE was established along with three others on Smart Health, Food, and Generative AI as part of KAUST's new Strategic Plan and reorganization of research.
A summit held at KAUST's Research and Technology Park discussed progress, challenges, and opportunities for developing the Kingdom's green hydrogen economy. The summit, which included senior representatives from KAUST, ERIF, HEFARI, ENOWA, Imperial, Saudi Aramco, HyET, Cruise Saudi, Nxt7, and Dow, covered topics such as cost-effective production of green hydrogen and ammonia, their deployment across important use cases, electrolyser development, transportation and storage requirements, and more.
ENOWA's Hydrogen Innovation Development Center (HIDC) will support KAUST research and the development of decarbonized synthetic fuels in collaboration with Saudi Aramco. The growing hydrogen research expertise and projects at KAUST also include hydrogen production, storage, transport, and utilization.
KAUST Vice President of Research, Pierre Magistretti, welcomed the funding and noted that the university is a leader in hydrogen research. Donal Bradley, Executive Director of NEOM's Education, Research & Innovation Foundation (ERIF), commented that HEFARI is a key component of the NEOM R&I ecosystem, helping to advance the Kingdom's green hydrogen economy.
The partnership aims to accelerate the hydrogen economy in Saudi Arabia, contributing to Saudi Arabia's aim to produce 50% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030 and become the top producer and supplier of hydrogen in the world.
[1] NEOM Green Hydrogen Project: https://www.neom.com/en/about/news/2021/12/neom-and-thyssenkrupp-nucera-announce-worlds-largest-green-hydrogen-and-ammonia-plant [2] Yanbu Green Hydrogen Hub: https://www.neom.com/en/about/news/2021/12/neom-announces-yanbu-green-hydrogen-hub-a-new-global-hub-for-green-hydrogen-production-and-export [3] Saudi Arabia's Green Hydrogen Strategy: https://www.saudihydrogen.sa/en/about-us [4] EU's Hydrogen Strategy: https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2020-2024/european-green-deal/actions/hydrogen-strategy_en
- The Strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and KAUST includes a focus on renweable-energy, specifically green hydrogen production, with the aim to become a global leader by 2030.
- KAUST's Hydrogen and e-Fuels Applied Research Institute (HEFARI) is leading three projects to develop hydrogen as a renewable energy vector, one of which is Professor William Roberts' work on carbon-neutral fuels for marine engines.
- The Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Renewables and Energy Storage at KAUST will include hydrogen-related research activities, as part of KAUST's new Strategic Plan and reorganization of research.
- The summit at KAUST's Research and Technology Park discussed cost-effective production of green hydrogen and ammonia, their deployment across various use cases, and the development of electrolysers, transportation, and storage requirements, among other topics.
- ENOWA's Hydrogen Innovation Development Center (HIDC) will support KAUST research and the development of decarbonized synthetic fuels in collaboration with Saudi Aramco, contributing to the growing hydrogen research expertise at KAUST.
- This partnership and research initiatives are integral to Saudi Arabia's goal of producing 50% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030 and becoming the top producer and supplier of hydrogen in the world, contributing to global efforts against climate-change.
