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Abu Dhabi’s renewables giant Masdar aims to produce 1 million tons of green hydrogen annually by 2030, with much of the output powering domestic steel and cement plants, being blended into aviation fuel, and designated for export, a senior executive told Semafor.
The UAE, which has yet to produce any green hydrogen, has set net-zero targets that will drive the adoption of the fuel to meet emissions standards, Dr. Faye Al Hersh, head of business development for UAE green hydrogen at Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co. — more commonly known as Masdar — said in an interview. Export markets in Europe and Asia are also being explored, she said.
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Hydrogen has taken on a rainbow of colors in industry jargon: green (produced from renewable energy), black (from coal), and white (naturally occurring). The UAE is focusing on those it labels as “low carbon.” The green hydrogen that Masdar plans to produce — half of which will be in the UAE — will be generated through electrolysis, a process that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen.
Global demand for hydrogen was about 100 million tons last year, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). But demand for low-emission hydrogen was just 1 million tons. The IEA projects that figure will rise to 6 million tons annually by 2030.
“The UAE has the right recipe to deliver cost-effective green hydrogen,” Al Hersh said. “We’ve consistently demonstrated our ability to deliver some of the world’s most competitive electricity prices from solar, which supports green hydrogen production.”