Oman is sharpening its international outreach on hydrogen as Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Mohsen bin Hamad Al Hadhrami, met senior officials in Seoul this week to explore deeper cooperation with South Korea.
The discussions with Lee Ho-hyun, Second Assistant Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, and Kang Kyung-sung, CEO of the Korea Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), placed green hydrogen at the center of bilateral energy dialogue.
For Oman, the timing is critical. The country has already awarded two rounds of hydrogen concessions covering over 1,500 square kilometers of land and is preparing a third, which could elevate its target of producing up to 1 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030. This ambition ties directly to Oman’s Vision 2040 and its pledge to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Officials in Seoul were briefed on these opportunities, underscoring the government’s intent to attract Asian investment and offtake agreements to underpin large-scale projects.
South Korea’s interest is equally strategic. The country has positioned hydrogen as a core component of its 2050 carbon neutrality roadmap, targeting the deployment of over 5 million hydrogen vehicles and 1,200 refueling stations by 2040. Securing supply partnerships is therefore a necessity, as domestic production will not meet projected demand. Oman’s geographic proximity to Asia and its plans for ammonia-based hydrogen exports present a viable route for Korean buyers seeking long-term security of supply.
Industry dynamics make such partnerships more than diplomatic formalities. The cost of producing green hydrogen in Oman has been estimated at $1.60–$2.20 per kilogram by 2030, according to Hydrom’s latest projections—among the lowest globally due to high solar irradiance and favorable land availability. This positions Oman to compete directly with Australia, the Middle East, and North Africa in supplying Asian markets. However, these forecasts depend heavily on continued cost declines in electrolyzers and renewable generation, areas where Korean technology providers may find entry points.
The meetings in Seoul also carried an institutional dimension, with the presence of Zakaria bin Hamad Al Saadi, Oman’s Ambassador to South Korea, and Abdulaziz bin Saeed Al Shidhani, General Manager of Hydrogen Oman (Hydrom). Their participation signals the government’s intent to move beyond MoUs towards structured frameworks that link investment promotion, regulatory certainty, and project execution.
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