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Green hydrogen holds significant promise in meeting the world’s future energy demands. Amid the global climate discussions at COP28, two UAE heavyweights, AD Ports Group and Masdar, have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that promises to propel the nation towards green hydrogen leadership. 

This collaboration aims to establish a dedicated green hydrogen production hub within the Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD), a move strategically aligned with the UAE’s ambitious National Hydrogen Strategy.

The proposed hub will cater to domestic and export markets, contributing significantly to the UAE’s vision of scaling local hydrogen production to 1.4 million tons annually by 2031, eventually reaching 15 million tons by 2050. 

This aligns perfectly with Masdar’s global green hydrogen ambitions, as they target an annual production capacity of up to 1 million tons by 2030.

Green hydrogen, a clean and sustainable fuel produced through renewable resources such as solar and wind, holds immense potential to reduce global emissions by over 20% by 2050. 

Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, said: “Green hydrogen has enormous potential to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors and accelerate the journey to net zero. Given more than 80 percent of global trade is transported by sea, partnerships like this are vital to ensure integrated green hydrogen value chains.”

The hub also envisions export terminals connecting KEZAD to overseas ports, attracting further investments into the green hydrogen value chain within Abu Dhabi.

“The MoU not only exemplifies our shared ambition with Masdar to establish Abu Dhabi as a vital international hub for the production and export of hydrogen and its derivatives but also echoes our wise leadership’s vision to diversify the UAE’s economy and bolster our global competitiveness,” said Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO of AD Ports Group.