The UAE is not leaving “any stones unturned” to reach its goal of becoming a major hydrogen producer and exporter, a Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure official has said.
The Emirates, which has shipped test cargoes of blue ammonia to countries such as Germany and Japan, is working with the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE) and the EU Commission to agree on a standard certification process for the export of the low-carbon fuel.
“Eventually, when we are to export hydrogen, the certification requirements need to match with the importing country,” said Sharif Al Olama, the ministry's Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs.
He was speaking during a session at the Energy Markets Forum event in Fujairah on Wednesday.
Hydrogen, which can be produced from renewable energy and natural gas, is expected to become a critical fuel as economies and industries transition to a low-carbon world.
It comes in various forms, including blue, green, and grey. Blue and grey hydrogen are produced from natural gas, while green is derived from splitting water molecules through electrolysis.
The UAE, the Arab world’s second-largest economy, aims to achieve hydrogen production of 1.4 million tonnes annually by 2031. This is to increase to 15 million tonnes every year by 2050.
The country is planning to develop at least two hydrogen production hubs, or oases, by 2031.
Asked whether the hubs would produce blue or green hydrogen, Mr Al Olama said: “We welcome all colours.”
“At this stage, I have to be very practical. Blue hydrogen is economically feasible. This is where we are going to start off and this will eventually transition into green,” he said.
“We are doing some certain studies to produce pink hydrogen … it's basically capitalising on the heat from our nuclear reactors.
“So, we are not leaving any stones unturned and we are looking at the entire perspective.”
The energy official also said Fujairah, the world's third-largest bunkering hub after Singapore and Rotterdam, was a “front-runner” to become a future hydrogen hub.
“It has all the infrastructure required to actually enable hydrogen [and] it has storage facilities,” Mr Al Olama said.
Despite hydrogen’s growing popularity, its price compared with natural gas and other alternative fuels as well as its transportation remain major hurdles in the industry.
“We are trying to find solutions going into R&D (research and development) aspects [and] trying different solutions to bring that cost down,” Mr Al Olama said.
On Tuesday, Opec secretary general Haitham Al Ghais, who also spoke at the event, said the world’s largest oil producers and energy industry executives would take part in the Cop28 climate conference in the UAE.
“We're going to take up a pavilion this year at the Cop28 in Dubai, where we will show everybody how our Opec countries are actually dealing with emissions, whether it's plans or projects that are in place already,” said Mr Al Ghais.
The Opec chief said that the world would require “all forms of energy” including oil, natural gas, and renewables to meet growing demand.
He also said several EU countries and the UK had taken a “U-turn” on their climate commitments, which means “there will be more use for oil for longer”.
The global oil industry requires investments of $14 trillion, or about $610 billion per year, until 2045 to meet growing energy demand, Opec said in its World Oil Outlook on Monday.
Out of the required amount, $11.1 trillion is needed in the upstream sector, while downstream and midstream requirements are estimated at $1.7 and $1.2 trillion, respectively.
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Results:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 (PA) | Group 1 US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
Winner: Goshawke, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer)
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) | Listed $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Silva, Oisin Murphy, Pia Brendt
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) | Conditions $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
Winner: Golden Jaguar, Connor Beasley, Ahmad bin Harmash
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) | Group 3 $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
Winner: Drafted, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Sandeep Jadhav
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
Winner: Oasis Charm, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
Winner: Escalator, Christopher Hayes, Charlie Fellowes
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
The specs: Audi e-tron
Price, base: From Dh325,000 (estimate)
Engine: Twin electric motors and 95kWh battery pack
Transmission: Single-speed auto
Power: 408hp
Torque: 664Nm
Range: 400 kilometres
Guns N’ Roses’s last gig before Abu Dhabi was in Hong Kong on November 21. We were there – and here’s what they played, and in what order. You were warned.
- It’s So Easy
- Mr Brownstone
- Chinese Democracy
- Welcome to the Jungle
- Double Talkin’ Jive
- Better
- Estranged
- Live and Let Die (Wings cover)
- Slither (Velvet Revolver cover)
- Rocket Queen
- You Could Be Mine
- Shadow of Your Love
- Attitude (Misfits cover)
- Civil War
- Coma
- Love Theme from The Godfather (movie cover)
- Sweet Child O’ Mine
- Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb cover)
- Wish You Were Here (instrumental Pink Floyd cover)
- November Rain
- Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden cover)
- Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover)
- Nightrain
Encore:
- Patience
- Don’t Cry
- The Seeker (The Who cover)
- Paradise City
Schedule:
Friday, January 12: Six fourball matches
Saturday, January 13: Six foursome (alternate shot) matches
Sunday, January 14: 12 singles
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
6 UNDERGROUND
Director: Michael Bay
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Adria Arjona, Dave Franco
2.5 / 5 stars
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
