The United Arab Emirates, represented by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, announced today a comprehensive national roadmap aimed at becoming a leader in hydrogen production. This plan is designed to support local low-carbon industries, contribute to achieving climate neutrality, and enhance the nation's position as a hydrogen supplier, in line with the UAE's leadership directives to promote future solutions to global climate challenges. This announcement followed the strategic initiative for climate neutrality by 2050, which is the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region and is aligned with the Paris Agreement on climate change.
The hydrogen leadership roadmap was announced during the Global Climate Change Summit "COP26" in Glasgow, gathering nations to commit to reducing emissions for the first time since the signing of the Paris Agreement.
His Excellency Suhail Mohamed Faris Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, stated: "The UAE has launched the UAE Hydrogen Roadmap today, which serves as a key driver in providing future solutions to global climate change challenges, coinciding with the announcement of the strategic initiative for climate neutrality by 2050." He emphasized that the initiative aims to establish an effective ecosystem that creates a new model for sustainable economic growth that enhances research, development, innovation, and clean technology. He noted that plans, strategies, initiatives, and necessary projects are currently being developed and implemented by stakeholders in key sectors in the UAE, including energy, economy, industry, infrastructure, transportation, waste, agriculture, and the environment.
For his part, His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and the UAE's Special Envoy for Climate Change, remarked that under the visionary guidance of the leadership, they are working to build capacities in the clean hydrogen market, which has promising and significant growth potential. He added that through the hydrogen leadership roadmap, the UAE will be able to implement ambitious growth projects across all aspects of the clean hydrogen value chain and leverage its leading position in advanced industries, technologies, and low-carbon as well as carbon-free energy. He expressed confidence that this roadmap will effectively contribute to supporting the UAE's strategic initiative seeking to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 and enhance sustainable economic growth.
Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed Al Mheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, stated: "Clean hydrogen is a sustainable fuel for the future and an important tool in global efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The roadmap seeks to leverage the UAE's investments and expertise in affordable renewable energy to develop the clean hydrogen sector, while playing a crucial role in driving the UAE's transformation into a sustainable low-carbon economy."
The hydrogen leadership roadmap includes three main objectives: opening new sources to create value through exporting low-carbon hydrogen and its derivatives/products to major importing regions, enhancing opportunities for new hydrogen derivatives using low-carbon steel and sustainable kerosene, as well as other priority industries contributing to achieving climate neutrality by 2050.
The UAE aims to support the low-carbon hydrogen industry through five main enablers: a clear regulatory framework supported by policies, incentives, standards, and certifications; provision of advanced technology through value-added partnerships and an effective national research and development structure in the UAE; enhancing existing government partnerships and establishing new partnerships to accelerate the growth of the local system; providing infrastructure and land to support local production; and securing green financing sources.
The UAE is confidently moving to achieve global leadership in low-carbon hydrogen, currently implementing more than seven ambitious projects targeting a 25% share in major export markets, including Japan, South Korea, Germany, and India, while also targeting other markets in Europe and East Asia. The country aims to lead the world in clean hydrogen production while providing competitive advantages for blue and green hydrogen, including abundant and competitive hydrocarbons, constructing large-scale hydrogen and ammonia production facilities, and offering the most competitive prices in the world in solar photovoltaic energy and large-scale carbon capture and storage, which is already owned by the national oil company ADNOC, producing over 300,000 tons annually of hydrogen and planning to increase production to 500,000 tons annually.
