ENOWA, NEOM’s subsidiary for energy, water, and hydrogen, has developed the region’s first Hydrogen and Innovation Development Center (HIDC).
The new facility, which is located in NEOM’s advanced manufacturing and innovation city, intends to speed the creation of lab-to-market solutions and businesses across the spectrum of hydrogen, green fuel generation, utilization, and transportation.
HIDC will serve as a demonstration site for emerging clean energy technologies and a collaborative learning community for research institutes focused on hydrogen and the circular carbon economy (CCE). HIDC will work with Saudi Aramco to develop and adopt decarbonized and clean synthetic fuels through these collaborations. The new facility will help the Kingdom achieve its objective of becoming a global innovation and clean energy centre.
HIDC, which is scheduled to open in 2023, will collect operating data on the facility’s first 20 MW electrolyzer from thyssenkrupp Nucera. This electrolyzer will be utilized in the world’s largest green hydrogen and ammonia plant, which will be run by NEOM Green Hydrogen Company (NGHC). Additionally, HIDC will develop ENOWA’s plans with Air Products Qudra for H2 mobility in NEOM, including the testing of sophisticated hydrogen-fuel cell-based mobility and logistics solutions.
Speaking on the establishment of HIDC, Peter Terium, CEO of ENOWA, said: “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. Our recent MoUs with NGHC, Saudi Aramco and Air Products Qudra demonstrate our tangible progress on this front. We look forward to attracting other global trailblazers to create a new future that will foster the next generation of hydrogen technologies.”
Located within OXAGON’s specialized Research & Innovation District, HIDC will attract global talent to live, work, and invent in a dynamic and modern ecosystem. The facility’s unique location stimulates creativity and unconventional thinking, laying the groundwork for the future and acting as a catalyst for global start-ups focused on green hydrogen technology and synthetic fuels.
Vishal Wanchoo, CEO of OXAGON and Head of Manufacturing at NEOM, added: “The need to address some of humanity’s most pressing challenges has spurred the next wave of investment in key technologies. OXAGON’s dedicated research and innovation district will be the new home for innovators, leading brands and the brightest minds who want to stress-test, accelerate and commercialize the next generation of solutions and products. OXAGON is the ideal site for the region’s first state-of-the-art Hydrogen and Innovation Development Center to foster innovation across the spectrum of hydrogen, green fuel production, utilization and transportation, accelerating these innovations from lab to advanced manufacturing and production facilities that can then be commercialized and exported.”
Additionally, HIDC’s pipeline of projects will include a hydrogen fueling station and distribution system for zero-emission automobiles, buses, trucks, and other clean energy applications, capitalizing on the growing commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell technology. HIDC will evaluate hydrogen innovations in collaboration with Aramco, Air Products, and ACWA Power, proving the potential for upscaling across the Kingdom and beyond the world.
Additionally, HIDC will work closely with Aramco on the creation of synthetic fuels. By utilizing HIDC’s green hydrogen capabilities, Aramco hopes to accelerate the development of its flagship in-house synthetic fuels program and establish the commercial and technical feasibility of synthetic fuel generation. Additionally, this collaboration will enable HIDC to leverage Aramco’s expertise in engineering, energy logistics, and fuels research and development, as well as to align with Aramco’s ongoing efforts to investigate the potential for hydrogen-based low carbon fuels to aid in the global energy transition.
Aramco Chief Technology Officer Ahmad Al-Khowaiter said: “With a new vision of future living, NEOM is a perfect place for Aramco to explore and test the boundaries of our in-house cutting-edge technologies. Its vast potential to generate wind and solar power also offers a unique opportunity to deliver renewable hydrogen to power the growth of low carbon synthetic fuels while offering a platform to test their commercial viability.”
ENOWA can produce significant quantities of green hydrogen that can be used by a variety of sectors across the Kingdom due to NEOM’s unmatched solar, wind, and water resources. Green hydrogen has acquired significant prominence as the next wave of the energy transition in recent years, with numerous applications as a power source, e-fuel, chemical, and fertilizer in a variety of industries. NEOM aspires to be the first economy to use green hydrogen as a source of energy on a large scale, paving the way for a worldwide hydrogen economy.
