Saudi utility, ACWA Power International, and a consortium of partners have begun construction on a green hydrogen plant Helios, reportedly to be the largest globally in NEOM’s Oxagon region.

Estimated at $900 million, the contract covers the engineering, procurement, and construction of the project. It will manufacture green hydrogen based on a renewable energy mechanism. Expected to require 4.3 GW of clean energy for operation, ACWA has said that the plant will utilize solar energy during the day and wind at night to eliminate the need for batteries and expensive storage solutions, as per a statement.

With this announcement, the kingdom aims to be on track to sell carbon-free hydrogen from a $5bn project in NEOM by 2026. The plant will be powered by around 4 gigawatts of solar and wind power, making it one of the largest being built globally as per Bloomberg Green.

“NEOM is fast becoming one of the global accelerators for the hydrogen economy. Our ambition is to drive innovation and promote the economic implementation of future clean energy supplies. While the successful activation of ground-breaking technologies is important, fresh thinking and new energy solutions are just as essential. “We look forward to attracting other global trailblazers to create a new future that will foster the next generation of hydrogen technologies,” said Peter Terium, CEO of ENOWA, in a press release.

In terms of impact, the green hydrogen project aims to contribute to the kingdom’s vision of 2030 by growing Saudi’s renewable energy sector and associated industries through boosted green fuel production and utilization.

Given the increased momentum in green hydrogen globally, with various applications as a power source, e-fuel, chemical, and fertilizer across many industries, NEOM aims to be the first economy to utilize green hydrogen as power at scale and pave the way for the hydrogen economy.