Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, inaugurated the Green Hydrogen project at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai, marking a new achievement for the Emirate as a leader in renewable energy.
The project, implemented in collaboration with Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Expo 2020 Dubai, and Siemens Energy, is the first solar-driven green hydrogen producing facility in the Middle East and North Africa.
The project, implemented in collaboration with DEWA, Expo 2020 Dubai and Siemens Energy, is the first solar-driven green hydrogen producing facility in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
In his keynote speech, HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA said “This pioneering project is part of our efforts to realise the vision of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, which aims to promote sustainability, innovation and shift towards a sustainable green economy.”
“In Dubai, we have a clear direction for the energy sector. It includes expanding the use of clean energy and employing digital transformation, smart grids, the tools of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and disruptive technologies, for their impact on the energy and water sectors, Al Tayer added.
“Through this pilot project, DEWA aims to demonstrate the production of green hydrogen from solar power, its storage, and re-electrification. This is a system that allows for buffering renewable energy production, both for fast response applications, as well as for long-term storage. The plant has been built to accommodate future applications and test platforms for the different uses of hydrogen, including potential mobility and industrial uses.
“DEWA has already explored and developed a pilot project for green mobility using hydrogen that can be executed in the near future, in addition to a number of studies, business strategies and a potential roadmap for hydrogen usage,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer.
“Expo 2020 congratulates all those involved, and believes this innovative project will inspire many more creative solutions that tackle some of the greatest challenges facing our planet.
“In less than five months, we will celebrate these ground-breaking collaborations, showcasing the UAE’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals and creating a meaningful legacy that will have a positive impact beyond the site and the six months of Expo,” said Reem Bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, minister of state for international cooperation, and director general Expo 2020 Dubai.
“This landmark Green Hydrogen Project highlights the importance of partnership in driving forward innovative new clean energy solutions and tackling the existential threat from global climate change.
“As the first industrial-scale facility to produce green hydrogen in the Middle East and North Africa, it is an important milestone of the energy transformation,” said Dr. Christian Bruch, president and CEO of Siemens Energy.
