• Memorandum of Understanding signed with four Dutch companies – Port of Amsterdam, SkyNRG, Evos Amsterdam, and Zenith Energy – related to development of green hydrogen supply chain through Amsterdam
• Green hydrogen could be used for sustainable aviation fuel, steelmaking, shipping, and wider offtake opportunities

ABU DHABI, UAE, Jan. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Masdar, one of the world's leading clean energy companies, Port of Amsterdam, SkyNRG, Evos Amsterdam and Zenith Energy have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore the development of a green hydrogen supply chain between Abu Dhabi and Amsterdam to support Dutch and European markets.

Masdar Signs Agreement to Explore Exporting Green Hydrogen from Abu Dhabi to Europe

The MoU was signed by Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, Gert-Jan Nieuwenhuizen, Managing Director for the Port of Amsterdam, Maarten van Dijk, Chief Development Officer of SkyNRG, Bart van der Meer, Business Development Manager, Evos, and Ellen Ruhotas, Managing Director New Energies for Zenith Energy. The agreement was signed in the presence of HE Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, COP28 President-Designate, and Chairman of Masdar, and Wopke Hoekstra, Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Netherlands.

HE Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, COP28 President-Designate, and Chairman of Masdar, said, "This agreement builds upon the existing relationship between the UAE and the Netherlands and demonstrates our mutual commitment to exploring low- and zero-carbon energy solutions. The UAE aims to play a central role in the emerging green hydrogen economy and this partnership with the Port of Amsterdam and associated players in the green hydrogen space would help position Abu Dhabi as a key hub for green hydrogen development."

Wopke Hoekstra, Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Netherlands, said, ""The Netherlands is keen on developing green hydrogen corridors with major future exporting countries like the UAE. Our country is well positioned to become a hydrogen hub for the Northwestern European market. I welcome the collaboration between Dutch and UAE businesses in the field of hydrogen and look forward to further intensifying the cooperation between our two countries."

Under this MoU, the parties will join their efforts to develop a green hydrogen supply chain, focusing on production in Abu Dhabi and export to the Netherlands through the port of Amsterdam. The exported green hydrogen will be delivered to key European sectors – sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), steelmaking, and bunkering for shipping – and will also be supplied to new, emerging European offtakers, via pipeline, truck and barge. Together, the parties will explore several hydrogen transportation methods, with a focus on liquid organic hydrogen carriers and liquid hydrogen.

Mohammed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, said, "Masdar believes green hydrogen to be a promising energy source for hard-to-abate sectors in support of global decarbonization, which is why we launched our dedicated green hydrogen business last month. We are pleased to partner with Port of Amsterdam, SkyNRG, Evos Amsterdam, and Zenith Energy to leverage our synergies in the fuel and logistics sectors to see how green hydrogen can help us achieve our shared goals for decarbonization and sustainable economic growth."

Port of Amsterdam, the operator of Europe's fourth-largest port, is committed to scaling up green hydrogen capabilities and is working closely with commercial parties active in its port on green hydrogen development. SkyNRG, a global leader in SAF, is developing a network of SAF production facilities that require green hydrogen as input. Zenith Energy and Evos Amsterdam are the operators of some of the most prominent blending and storage terminals in the port, with Zenith developing a liquid hydrogen supply chain, while Evos Amsterdam is working on a liquid organic hydrogen carrier supply chain.

Koen Overtoom, CEO, Port of Amsterdam, said, "We are very pleased with this new collaboration. SkyNRG, Evos and Zenith Energy are driving forces behind the hydrogen developments in the port of Amsterdam and they are key in our goal of importing at least one million tonnes of green hydrogen annually. Joining forces with a party as renowned as Masdar, will bring this goal that much closer to realization. Together, we can bring the envisioned Abu Dhabi-Amsterdam connection to fruition."

Green hydrogen is produced with green electricity from renewables like wind or solar, in a process that separates water into oxygen and hydrogen via electrolysis. The International Renewable Energy Agency has stated that hydrogen will be an essential component of a net-zero energy system and has a key role to play in decarbonizing sectors that are difficult to electrify, such as heavy industry and long-haul transport[1]. The global green hydrogen market is projected to reach US$72 billion by 2030, while PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), has estimated that by 2050, hydrogen demand could be between 150 to 500 million metric tonnes per year[2].

Last December, Masdar announced its new shareholding structure and green hydrogen business unit, with a goal of achieving 100 GW renewable energy capacity and green hydrogen production of 1 million tonnes per annum annually by 2030. Masdar is actively involved in a number of projects related to green hydrogen production. Last year, Masdar signed agreements with leading Egyptian state-backed organizations to cooperate on the development of green hydrogen production plants in the country, targeting an electrolyzer capacity of 4 gigawatts by 2030, and output of up to 480,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year.

About Masdar

Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) is the UAE's clean energy champion and one of the largest companies of its kind in the world, advancing the development and deployment of renewable energy and green hydrogen technologies to address global sustainability challenges. Established in 2006, Masdar is today active in over 40 countries, helping them to achieve their clean energy objectives and advance sustainable development. Masdar is jointly owned by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala), and Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), and under this ownership the company is targeting a renewable energy portfolio capacity of at least 100 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 and an annual green hydrogen production capacity of up to 1 million tonnes by the same year.

For more information please visit: http://www.masdar.ae and connect: facebook.com/masdar.ae and twitter.com/masdar 

About Port of Amsterdam

Port of Amsterdam aims to be a leading European seaport at the forefront of the transition to a sustainable society. The port is a logistics hub for international and national trade flows, as well as local urban distribution. The port focuses on growth of bio- and synthetic fuels, hydrogen activities, circular industry and manufacturing. Western Europe's fourth port delivers added value by employing 68,000 people at port and port-related companies. By innovating, the port is working towards a smoother and more transparent shipping process and reduced CO2 emissions from port and shipping. Port of Amsterdam is working intensively with clients and partners to make the port operate faster, smarter and cleaner. So a little better every day.

For more information, please visit www.portofamsterdam.com

About SkyNRG 

Since 2009, SkyNRG has been a global leader in Sustainable Aviation Fuels. The company is dedicated to increase SAF demand and production capacity for the industry to meet its 2050 net zero commitment. SkyNRG has supplied SAF to over 40+ airlines and 70+ corporates across the world and is now developing dedicated SAF production facilities to support the transition from fossil jet fuel to sustainable aviation fuel. SkyNRG does not compromise when it comes to sustainability; we are a globally recognized Certified B Corp™, our operations are certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), and we are advised by an independent Sustainability Board, as well as a worldwide NGO network to ensure we make the right sustainability decisions across all of our operations.

For more information, please visit www.skynrg.com

About Zenith

Zenith Energy is a world-class midstream company that owns and operates over 5 million cubic metres of renewable fuels, crude oil, petroleum products, chemicals and gas storage across North American, Europe and Latin America through its subsidiaries Zenith International and Zenith U.S. The Company's focus is on building a sustainable, independent liquid storage terminals business that provides safe and reliable solutions for its customers in the years to come. The entities share a common management team and headquarters in Houston, as well as core values, including Safety First and Environmental Protection.

For more information, please visit www.zenithterminals.com

About EVOS

Evos is a leading liquid energy and chemicals storage company. It operates a network of leading tank terminals in strategic locations across Europe, with a combined storage capacity of 6.3 million cbm. The terminals are located in the Netherlands (Amsterdam (2x), Rotterdam, Terneuzen), Belgium (Ghent), Germany (Hamburg), Malta and Spain (Algeciras). Evos was founded in 2019 and is owned by investment funds managed by Igneo Infrastructure Partners, a long-term oriented infrastructure asset manager. Evos has a total headcount of 720 employees.

For more information, visit www.evos.eu

[1] https://www.irena.org/publications/2022/May/Global-hydrogen-trade-Cost#:~:text=Vast%20green%20hydrogen%20potential%20exists,depends%20on%20the%20land%20available.

[2] https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/industries/energy-utilities-resources/future-energy/green-hydrogen-cost.html