‘World’s first’ liquid hydrogen corridor to link Oman, the Netherlands and Germany

A joint development agreement (JDA) has been signed to establish the “world’s first” liquid hydrogen corridor, connecting Oman, the Netherlands and Germany.

As disclosed, this corridor will link the Port of Duqm in Oman, the Port of Amsterdam in the Netherlands and key logistics hubs in Germany, including the Port of Duisburg, enabling the commercial-scale import of renewable fuel of non-biological origin (RFNBO) compliant liquid hydrogen to Europe.

Eleven parties in total entered the deal, including players like Oman’s national green hydrogen orchestrator Hydrom, Oman’s energy group OQ, Dutch steel producer Tata Steel, German logistics and transportation company Hamburger Hafen und Logistik and Dutch company Hynetwork, reportedly bringing together all the critical links for the envisioned supply chain.

According to the Port of Amsterdam, the agreement comprises several key components vital to the corridor’s development. First, the development of a centralized liquefaction, storage and export facility at the Port of Duqm, which is one of the hubs for Omani-produced green hydrogen. Second, discussions will be held on the pricing and delivery of liquid hydrogen to offtakers located in the broader Amsterdam area, as well as offtakers located elsewhere in the Netherlands and Germany, with German EnBW as the aggregator. Finally, the development of dedicated infrastructure throughout the corridor, including export and import facilities in the ports of Duqm, Amsterdam and Duisburg, as well as for several distribution modalities for gaseous and liquid hydrogen.

Sophie Hermans, the Dutch Minister for Climate and Green Growth, commented: “This agreement represents a landmark moment in our commitment to clean energy. By linking Omani green hydrogen with Europe’s energy needs, we are advancing our shared climate goals and creating a sustainable energy pathway.”

Salim Nasser Al Aufi, Oman’s Minister of Energy and Minerals, stated: “This partnership reflects Oman’s commitment to playing a leading role in the global green hydrogen economy, while strengthening ties with Europe to support its sustainable clean energy transition.”

To note, this JDA builds on the existing partnership between Hydrom, the Omani Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Port of Amsterdam, ECOLOG and EnBW for the development of the liquid hydrogen corridor.

It is also worth mentioning that during COP28 in Dubai, in 2023, the Government of Oman and Hydrom signed an agreement with Port of Amsterdam, Zenith Energy Terminals and GasLog for the development of the liquid hydrogen supply chain from Oman to Europe, particularly the Netherlands.