ACWA Power and Hysata enter hydrogen technology partnership

February 12, 2025, by Aida Čučuk

ACWA Power, a Saudi developer, investor and operator of power generation, water desalination and green hydrogen plants worldwide, and Hysata, an Australian electrolyzer company, have signed an agreement for the delivery of commercial-scale demonstrations of Hysata’s electrolysis technology in Saudi Arabia.

The demonstration is said to be the first step in Hysata’s commercial pathway towards deploying large-scale electrolyzer systems in ACWA Power’s projects.

According to Hysata, the deal will accelerate the development of its electrolyzers and leverage ACWA Power’s expertise in large capital projects which includes its 2.2-gigawatt NEOM green hydrogen project in Saudi Arabia. NEOM is, reportedly, already over 60% complete and is expected to produce 600 tonnes of hydrogen daily once fully operational in 2026.

Commenting on the partnership, Hysata’s CEO Paul Barrett said that Hysata was “attracted” to ACWA Power’s pipeline of large-scale green hydrogen projects with strong offtakes, expertise across the energy supply chain in the Middle East and ability to execute large-scale projects at a rapid pace.

“Green hydrogen through its use as a chemical feedstock is critical for decarbonising heavy industry and for creating new export markets for products such as green iron, steel, and green ammonia. The Middle East offers all the ingredients to be a green hydrogen leader with low cost and abundant renewable capacity, ambitious hydrogen investments and attractive incentives for manufacturing The region’s rapid progress in the sector is also thanks to the strong vision from companies like ACWA Power,” Barrett added.

To note, this deal was signed during ACWA Power’s Innovation Days event in Riyadh in February 2025.

At the time, the Saudi company announced several partnership agreements, including with state-owned Saudi Aramco, UK-based Bluewater Bio, global chemicals producer Dow and German Fraunhofer IMWS, Fraunhofer ISC and Fraunhofer IWES. In addition, it extended its master research agreement with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).

It is worth mentioning that with Fraunhofer IMWS, Fraunhofer ISC and Fraunhofer IWES, ACWA Power signed a framework agreement, marking the beginning of a strategic collaboration in renewable energy and green hydrogen research and development. As informed, the partnership will focus on advancing innovative solutions in the clean energy sector, leveraging Fraunhofer’s expertise in materials, energy systems and hydrogen technologies.

Thomas Altmann, EVP of Innovation and New Technology at ACWA Power, stated: “These collaborations underscore our vision and accelerated drive towards building a sustainable future; by investing in cutting-edge desalination technologies alongside renewable energy innovation and green hydrogen production solutions, we are paving the way for a more resilient and sustainable energy and water infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.”

In 2025, the Saudi developer also entered collaborations with Germany’s Securing Energy for Europe (SEFE) and Italy’s energy infrastructure operator Snam. With SEFE, it signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the production and supply of green hydrogen to Europe, and with Snam, it agreed to explore collaboration opportunities and joint investments in establishing a green hydrogen supply chain from Saudi Arabia to Europe.