Connecting Green Hydrogen MENA took place from 23-25 April this year
At a panel session on 24 April, speakers discussed sustainable energy solutions for the future. The conversation centred around the importance of investing in renewable energy sources, improving energy storage, and developing hydrogen production.
Speakers also highlighted the need for partnerships and collaboration in overcoming challenges in the automotive and energy industries. They stressed the importance of integrating production and financing, to ensure successful execution, while discussing potential bottlenecks in infrastructure and international delivery.
Transparency
During the panel session on hydrogen trade, the discussion centred around several key points. Firstly, participants discussed the importance of establishing mutually recognised, robust, and tradeable certification schemes for hydrogen. They emphasised the need for these schemes to ensure transparency and reliability in the global hydrogen market.
“Local authorities need to fix a federal permit on some large infrastructure sharing services. These are clear decision commitments across tangible projects that we can use to deal with this infrastructure,” said Francois Dao, senior vice president MEA at EDF Renewables.
Furthermore, the panel highlighted the significance of fostering international cooperation and forming long-term partnerships to guarantee energy security and reduce costs associated with hydrogen production and distribution. This cooperation is seen as crucial for facilitating the growth of the hydrogen economy on a global scale.
Eng. Anas Aljuaidi, CEO of MMEC, used the UAE as an example to highlight this. “There are a lot of international companies operating in the UAE, they are integrating and operating well.”
Technology is also very important to facilitate international cooperation, he said.
Cross-border trade
“We are working on pilot projects for clients. In all of our pilot projects, decarbonisation, like reducing the emissions from projects, is becoming very important. We have international partners in all of our projects. This is very important, to keep an open mindset, in order to see who is the best partner for you.”
Additionally, the conversation touched upon the necessity of building infrastructure for cross-border trade in hydrogen. This infrastructure includes pipelines, storage facilities, and transportation networks to facilitate the seamless movement of hydrogen between countries.
Lastly, the panel explored the idea of setting up international shipping routes specifically tailored for hydrogen trade. This initiative would involve establishing dedicated shipping lanes and ports equipped to handle hydrogen cargo, further facilitating the global trade of this valuable energy resource.
