Revolutionizing Energy: Dubai’s Green Hydrogen Breakthrough!
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has reached a remarkable achievement with its Green Hydrogen initiative, producing approximately 90 tonnes of green hydrogen since its launch in May 2021. This project stands as a pioneering effort in the Middle East and North Africa, harnessing solar energy to generate sustainable hydrogen fuel.
In collaboration with Expo 2020 Dubai and Siemens Energy, the project has successfully created over one gigawatt hour (GWh) of renewable energy, significantly lowering carbon emissions by about 450 tonnes. This innovative endeavor is designed with versatility in mind, aiding advancements in multiple sectors, including transportation across air, land, and sea.
One of the standout features of the project is its impressive production capacity, enabling the generation of around 20 kilograms of hydrogen every hour. Additionally, the initiative includes a storage facility capable of holding hydrogen generated by solar power for up to 12 hours, while a 300-kilowatt hydrogen gas motor provides electricity during nighttime.
According to Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, DEWA’s Managing Director and CEO, the project is closely aligned with the UAE’s strategic vision to become a leader in low-carbon hydrogen. This aligns with broader national goals, including the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, aiming for 100% clean energy production by the year 2050.
Through its innovative approach, this Green Hydrogen project not only sets a standard for affordable green hydrogen but also positions Dubai as a global leader in renewable energy solutions.
Dubai’s Green Hydrogen Initiative: Pioneering Sustainable Energy Solutions
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is revolutionizing the energy landscape in the Middle East with its groundbreaking Green Hydrogen initiative, launched in May 2021. This ambitious project has made significant strides in sustainable energy, having produced approximately 90 tonnes of green hydrogen. Utilizing solar power, DEWA is leading the charge toward a cleaner, more sustainable future.
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has reached a remarkable achievement with its Green Hydrogen initiative, producing approximately 90 tonnes of green hydrogen since its launch in May 2021. This project stands as a pioneering effort in the Middle East and North Africa, harnessing solar energy to generate sustainable hydrogen fuel.
In collaboration with Expo 2020 Dubai and Siemens Energy, the project has successfully created over one gigawatt hour (GWh) of renewable energy, significantly lowering carbon emissions by about 450 tonnes. This innovative endeavor is designed with versatility in mind, aiding advancements in multiple sectors, including transportation across air, land, and sea.
One of the standout features of the project is its impressive production capacity, enabling the generation of around 20 kilograms of hydrogen every hour. Additionally, the initiative includes a storage facility capable of holding hydrogen generated by solar power for up to 12 hours, while a 300-kilowatt hydrogen gas motor provides electricity during nighttime.
According to Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, DEWA’s Managing Director and CEO, the project is closely aligned with the UAE’s strategic vision to become a leader in low-carbon hydrogen. This aligns with broader national goals, including the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, aiming for 100% clean energy production by the year 2050. Through its innovative approach, this Green Hydrogen project not only sets a standard for affordable green hydrogen but also positions Dubai as a global leader in renewable energy solutions.
Dubai’s Green Hydrogen Initiative: Pioneering Sustainable Energy Solutions
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is revolutionizing the energy landscape in the Middle East with its groundbreaking Green Hydrogen initiative, launched in May 2021. This ambitious project has made significant strides in sustainable energy, having produced approximately 90 tonnes of green hydrogen. Utilizing solar power, DEWA is leading the charge toward a cleaner, more sustainable future.
Link: https://lisboatv.pt/uncategorized-en/revolutionizing-energy-dubais-green-hydrogen-breakthrough/6446/
German President Steinmeier visits Nigeria for energy discussions
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Wednesday was in Nigeria for two days of talks aimed at bolstering Berlin’s energy ties with Abuja, News.az reports citing Deutsche Welle.
Nigeria is Germany’s second-largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa. Steinmeier, who met Wednesday with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, traveled with an entourage of high-profile German business leaders from various energy, finance, distribution and tech companies. Speaking of collaboration between the two nations on gas and oil production and beyond, Steinmeier said, “We have one of the longest energy partnerships that Germany has ever had.” Steinmeier said the “energy partnership” between Germany — Europe’s largest economy — and Nigeria — Africa’s most populous nation — has gravitated “towards solar and wind power in recent years” but the next goal is “hydrogen production.” “We have the sun here in Nigeria, you have the technology,” Tinubu said, as Steinmeier added that Berlin now has its sights set on the next step, green hydrogen, saying, “In Germany, we have the technology for that, too.” President Tinubu said his goal was to “continue to give you assurance that our business doors are open and our reforms are working very well,” adding, “Our businessmen and policymakers are very anxious to do business with Germany.”
Link:https://news.az/news/german-president-steinmeier-visits-nigeria-for-energy-discussions
Sugarcane trash can produce energy—what South Africa’s small farmers need to make this happen
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain
Bioenergy—the renewable energy derived from plant and animal waste products—is largely ignored in South Africa. Solar energy, wind power, and green hydrogen in renewable energy.
Sugarcane trash (the discarded leaves and tops of the plant) is a good example of plant waste that could be turned into energy. But it’s overlooked.
South Africa is a major sugarcane producer, producing about 2.2 million tonnes of refined sugar per season. This generates an estimated average direct income of over R20 billion (more than US$1 billion) per year.
The country has about 20,200 registered small-scale sugarcane growers producing about 2.09 million tonnes of cane every year. This is about 11% of the total sugarcane production in the country.
But many small-scale sugarcane farmers are not prosperous. The problems they face include drought and poor harvests, small farm sizes, the high costs of inputs such as fertilizer and chemicals and little access to finance.
Sugarcane trash makes up 13% to 30% of sugarcane. More than 90% of the sugarcane trash in the country, or an estimated 2.7 million tonnes per year, is burnt. This has huge environmental implications with greenhouse gas emissions being released into the atmosphere.
If this was turned into bioenergy instead, assuming a 50% recovery efficiency, about 180.1MW of electricity could be produced in each 200 day production season. This is enough electricity to power more than 100,000 homes in South Africa (1MW of electricity can power about 650 homes).
Bioenergy from sugarcane trash presents the potential for smallholder farmers to improve their profitability. At the same time, they’d be contributing to alternative energy generation and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that come from burning sugarcane trash in the fields.
We are agricultural economists who research bioenergy and climate change. Research on using sugarcane trash for energy generation in South Africa has been limited, and most existing studies are more than 10 years old. Changes in knowledge and technology for harvesting and producing energy from sugarcane trash since then highlight the need for updated research to address current opportunities and challenges.
We looked into the environmental damage caused by burning sugarcane trash, and explored whether small-scale sugarcane farmers could turn this plant waste into bioenergy instead.
Our research found that sugarcane trash could be used to produce bioenergy. Rural green energy production would not only reduce energy insecurity in South Africa, but also play a huge part in improving the environment.
Sugarcane trash is damaging the environment
We studied 330 small-scale sugarcane farmers in rural parts South Africa’s sugarcane producing provinces— KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga. We found that almost half the farmers regularly burnt sugarcane leaves and tops. Only 44% left the sugarcane trash on the ground, or turned it into compost to nourish the soil.
We also found that small-scale sugarcane growers generally don’t know enough about how sugarcane trash can be used to create bioenergy. Most of the farmers we surveyed said they didn’t collect sugarcane trash because there was no market for it. Only 20.7% knew that sugarcane tops and leaves could be harvested and sold.
The burning of sugarcane leaves and tops emits approximately 0.08 tCO2-e (tonnes of CO₂ equivalents) per hectare. This is the equivalent of 9.16kg of burned coal or of driving 74.4km in an average petrol car. This practice significantly contributes to global warming.
In total, the estimated greenhouse gas emissions from sugarcane burning of all small-scale growers in the two provinces are 725 tCO2-e per annum. This is the same as burning 368 tonnes of coal or consuming 244,568 liters of diesel.
A green market for bioenergy could solve the problem
Several things need to happen to stop the greenhouse gas emissions caused by burning sugar cane trash:
- Incentives: Small-scale farmers will need financial support to stop burning sugarcane trash. Hiring baling machines (green harvesting) to bundle up the sugarcane tops and leaves is expensive. The South African government should give small-scale farmers incentives for green harvesting. This would include subsidies for buying mechanical harvesting equipment. Currently, there are few incentives for farmers to stop burning sugar cane trash.
- New policies: Pollution-deterring policies to stop the practice of burning of sugarcane should be introduced. Policies around energy production and technology transfer for small-scale production of bioenergy are also needed. A grid feed-in tariff should be set up to allow small independent power producers to sell their surplus electricty to the state-owned electricity provider, Eskom.
- Creating bioenergy awareness: Different government departments and Eskom must work as a collective and communicate with small-scale farmers and communities about the potential of bioenergy. They need to set up a process where the farmers can say how they want bioenergy developments to happen and what their priorities are.
- Developing the science on the ground: The University of South Africa’s Rural Bioenergy Programme and the Agricultural Sector Education and Training Authority are working on a plan to promote the participation of small-scale sugarcane farmers in the bioenergy energy sector in South Africa. More support is needed.
- Support for a rural bioenergy industry: The South African government must mobilise support to set up a rural industry. This includes helping develop sugarcane value chain alternatives to using the plant for sugar only, and bringing small-scale farmers into this new bioenergy value chain.
Involve small-scale farmers in the green transition
If the government does not include small-scale farmers in the transition to renewable energy, it will not be a just transition. Instead, it will be a missed opportunity for transformation at the grassroots level. This is because energy will become more expensive for impoverished rural people in the future. Inequality will deepen.
The future will always demand energy for development. With global shifts towards green energy consumption, green markets (people who will buy bioenergy and other forms of renewable energy) are guaranteed. And if small-scale farmers who are mainly situated in rural areas are brought into the renewable energy value chain, their livelihoods will improve. This will reduce poverty and inequality in South Africa’s rural areas.
Link: https://techxplore.com/news/2024-12-sugarcane-trash-energy-south-africa.html
SA ‘to solidify position as leading global supplier of green hydrogen’
10 Dec 2024 | Siyabonga Sesant
A high-level delegation including the minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, and Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane, is in Japan as part of South Africa’s strategy to establish itself as a global leader in green hydrogen production and export.
This aligns with Japan’s ambitious net-zero goal which is to achieve a balance between the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) that’s produced and the amount that’s removed from the atmosphere.
The Coega Green Ammonia Project in Gqeberha
PHOTO: HIVE ENERGY
The premier of the Northern Cape, Dr Zamani Saul, is also on the three-day working visit during which the delegation will showcase South Africa’s “unified commitment to advancing flagship hydrogen projects such as Boegoebaai in the Northern Cape and the Coega Green Ammonia Project [in Gqeberha].”
In October 2023, Algoa FM News reported that the multi-billion dollar Hive Energy Green Ammonia plant being planned for the Coega Special Economic Zone would be supplying over 900 000 tons of green ammonia to Japan, Korea, and Europe.
Hive Energy UK said at the time that it was “playing the leading development role in Phase 1 of South Africa’s $5.8 billion [more than R103b] Green Ammonia project at Coega, in Nelson Mandela Bay, to be commissioned in 2028.”
More than 20,000 jobs are expected to be created.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Department of Electricity and Energy said the Boegoebaai and the Coega Green Ammonia projects were pivotal in transforming South Africa into a world-class hydrogen economy.
“During the visit [in Japan], Minister Ramokgopa [will be] engaging with key Japanese stakeholders, including major financial institutions and trading companies,” it said.
“The discussions [will] focus on securing strategic investments, technical partnerships, and co-financing for large-scale hydrogen production, infrastructure development, and export capacity.”
“Japan’s pursuit of a sustainable hydrogen future presents a unique opportunity for South Africa,” Ramokgopa said.
“Our goal is to leverage Japan’s 2050 net-zero carbon objectives and its Hydrogen Society Promotion Act to position South Africa as a preferred supplier of green hydrogen and ammonia.”
The minister added: “This visit not only demonstrates South Africa’s commitment to executing flagship green hydrogen projects but also highlights the growing international confidence in our hydrogen potential.”
Ramokgopa seeks to catalyse Japanese finance for green hydrogen projects
Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa
10th December 2024
Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa is in Japan this week in a bid to secure financial backing for flagship South African green-hydrogen projects in the Eastern and Northern Cape provinces.
Accompanied by the Premiers of the Northern and Eastern Cape, Dr Zamani Saul and Oscar Mabuyane, Ramokgopa is leading a high-level delegation to showcase projects in Boegoebaai and Coega.
During the visit, Ramokgopa will meet with major financial institutions and trading companies such as Mitsui, IHI, ITOCHU, MHI, and JERA.
Japan has been identified as a key potential export market for green-hydrogen and derivatives, owing to the Asian country’s stated goal of increasing yearly consumption to 20-million tons by 2050 as part of its net-zero vision.
Besides seeking to catalyse finance for flagship projects, the delegation also aims to use the visit to strengthen collaboration with the Japanese authorities to establish certification standards for green hydrogen and to explore policy-backed loans for SouthAfrica’s energy transition.
Discussions will also be held regarding the development of a domestic market for hydrogen through locally produced vehicles.
“Our goal is to leverage Japan’s 2050 net-zero carbon objectives and its Hydrogen Society Promotion Act to position South Africa as a preferred supplier of green hydrogen and ammonia,” Ramokgopa said in a statement.
Dubai’s Production of Green Hydrogen Reduces 450 Tonnes of CO2 Emissions
WAM
DUBAI– Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has announced that its Green Hydrogen project has produced around 90 tonnes of green hydrogen since it was launched in May 2021.
Most of this hydrogen was used to produce more than one-gigawatt hour (GWh) of green energy, reducing about 450 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
The Green Hydrogen project is the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa to produce green hydrogen using solar energy.
Implemented in collaboration with Expo 2020 Dubai and Siemens Energy, the project produces about 20 kilogrammes of hydrogen per hour, and its gas tank can store up to 12 hours of hydrogen produced using solar energy. It is used to produce electricity during the night through a hydrogen gas motor with a capacity of approximately 300 kilowatts of electrical energy.
The Green Hydrogen project has been designed and built to accommodate future applications and test platforms for various uses of hydrogen, including the air, land and sea transport sectors and other industries.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, said, “We support the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to enhance the UAE’s pioneering and competitive position worldwide in low-carbon hydrogen.
The Green Hydrogen project promotes the UAE’s goal to acquire 25% of the low-carbon hydrogen market. The project aligns with our efforts to diversify energy resources and achieve the National Hydrogen Strategy, the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050 to provide 100% of the energy production capacity from clean energy sources by 2050.”
Implementing this project at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world, which will have a production capacity of over 5,000 MW by 2030, contributes to achieving competitive prices in green hydrogen production.
The green hydrogen is produced through electrolysis using renewable energy sources. DEWA has achieved world-class results for solar energy prices, making Dubai a global benchmark for solar energy prices.
UAE-Morocco venture to invest $25 bln green hydrogen project
Project is based in Dakhla city in Morocco
Staff Writer, Zawya Projects
A hydrogen station is seen at the Cologne-Bonn airport in Cologne, Germany, July 22, 2022. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay Image used for illustrative purpose.
Reuters
A UAE-Moroccan private venture is planning to pump nearly $25 billion into a green hydrogen and ammonia project in the North African Arab country.
Dahamco has already obtained approval from the Moroccan government to set up the project in the Atlantic port of Dakhla in the disputed Western Sahara.
In comments published last week, Dahamco President Tom Hanson said phase 1 of the project would produce nearly one million tonnes per year and that it would cost around 40 billion Moroccan dirhams ($4.04 billion).
He told France’s Le Matin newspaper: “Dahamco has obtained land rights and the necessary local authorisations for its project well before the implementation of Morocco’s Offer for the development of green hydrogen in November 2022.”
He said project approvals from the Regional Investment Centre (CRI) were issued in July 2022, adding that the majority of the land to house the project was registered.
“Today, its design is fully finalised, its co-investors mobilised and its outlets have been clearly defined. We have therefore been ready to move forward for quite some time.”
The Dahamco project will be developed in several phases, according to Hanson who said the sizing of the project in phases will guarantee the company a competitive average cost and will avoid the risks linked to a “too early” adoption.
“If everything goes as the company’s top management wishes, the first phase of the project will be operational in 2031 and will have a production capacity of around 1 million tonnes per year,” Hanson said.
“The following phases of the project should come into service at intervals of 4 to 5 years from the operation of the first.”
Morocco’s Sabah Akadir newspaper said on Saturday that the project would be launched soon but it gave no specific dates.
In a report in late 2023, the Moroccan Economy and Finance Minister said there are plans to set up energy projects worth nearly $60 billion and that more than 90 percent of them will cover green hydrogen and ammonia.
It said key investors in such projects include Taqa Morocco, AP Moller Capital of Denmark, Dahamco and Ornx Boujdour of Morocco, and OCP Group, a key Moroccan producer of phosphates.
Clyde Hydrogen Announces Breakthrough in High-Pressure Hydrogen Production and Launches Major Funding Round
Clyde Hydrogen CEO, James Peck
Clyde Hydrogen Systems, a pioneering Glasgow-based company, is making significant strides in the hydrogen production sector with a dual announcement of a technical breakthrough and the launch of a €6 million funding round. This development marks a major milestone in the company’s journey toward commercializing its innovative decoupled electrolysis process for high-pressure hydrogen production.
Technical Breakthrough in Hydrogen Production
Clyde Hydrogen has achieved a significant technical milestone by successfully producing hydrogen at pressures exceeding 100 bar using its scaled-up catalytic hydrogen generator. This achievement demonstrates the company’s capacity to align intermittent renewable energy sources with efficient hydrogen production, addressing a critical challenge in the hydrogen sector. The process involves a unique decoupled electrolysis method developed in collaboration with the University of Glasgow’s School of Chemistry, which includes an electrochemical reductor and a catalytic hydrogen generator.
Strategic Funding to Accelerate Commercialization
Simultaneously, Clyde Hydrogen has initiated a €6 million funding round aimed at accelerating the commercial readiness of their technology. Scheduled to refine the decoupled electrolysis process and develop a production-ready system by 2026, the funding round also aims to expand the company’s team in response to the growing demand for scalable and efficient hydrogen solutions. This round builds on previous investments from entities like Zinc and the University of Glasgow, supplemented by grants from the Scottish Government’s Hydrogen Innovation Scheme and the Net Zero Technology Centre.
CEO’s Vision for the Future
James Peck, CEO of Clyde Hydrogen, expressed enthusiasm about the recent developments, stating, “This technical milestone validates years of dedicated research and development. It demonstrates our ability to scale lab-based innovations into commercially viable technology. With this funding round, we aim to propel Clyde Hydrogen towards delivering a production-ready system and playing a key role in the UK’s renewable energy future.”
Plans for Expansion and Impact
With the technical validation of its high-pressure hydrogen production, Clyde Hydrogen is well-positioned to contribute significantly to the renewable energy sector. The company plans to introduce a fully integrated pilot system by late 2025, with a commercial demonstrator expected by 2027. These steps are geared towards establishing Clyde Hydrogen as a crucial player in enabling the global transition to net-zero energy systems.
Local developer ready to invest $4bn in green hydrogen and ammonia project in southern Morocco
The first 1.5GW phase of the Dakhla project, in the disputed Western Sahara territory, is targeting exports to Northern Europe
A satellite image of the Dakhla peninsula, including the city and port (off the southern coast), taken in 2021.Photo: Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2021/Getty/Gallo Images via Getty Images
Local developer Dahamco says it is ready to invest 40bn Moroccan dirhams ($4bn) in the first 1.5GW phase of its 254bn-dirham green hydrogen and ammonia project on the Dakhla peninsula in the disputed Western Sahara region of southern Morocco.
“As of today, its design is fully completed, co-investors have been mobilised, and the market outlets are clearly defined,” company president Tom Hanson told a local newspaper. “We have been ready to move forward for some time now.”
Dakhla-headquartered Dahamco has already received all the necessary permits from Moroccan authorities for the project, with the first phase due to produce one million tonnes of green ammonia a year.
“If we can finalize the missing project agreement by the first quarter of 2025 at the latest, we will be able to achieve commercial operation by 2031, provided there are no new delays,” Hanson told Moroccan French-language newspaper Le Matin, presumably a reference to a contract with an offtaker.
Due to the excellent wind and solar resources at Dakhla, “we can produce [green ammonia] at a cost acceptable to our customers”, said the Belgian, pointing out that it is targeting exports to the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp region in the Netherlands/Belgium.
“We conducted a 25-year simulation based on historical wind and solar date — we are confident in our ability to overcome this challenge [of intermittency] through a tailored plant design,” he added.
Dahamco plans to deliver subsequent phases of the $25.5bn project at intervals of four to five years, as long as there is sufficient demand.
“We are confident there will be significant demand if the price remains affordable,” Hanson stated.
Dakhla is a city of more than 100,000 people on a sandy peninsula (the word Dakhla literally means “The Peninsular” in Arabic) on the west coast of the Moroccan administrative region Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab.
Moroccans consider the region to be an integral part of Morocco, but it is situated in the Western Sahara, which is listed as a non self-governing territory by the UN. It is claimed to be an independent nation by the Sahrawi people, who are in de facto control of the easternmost one-fifth of the territory.
The Moroccan government is building a €1.2bn ($1.27bn) “megaport” on the Dakhla peninsula, through which Dahamco hopes to export its green ammonia.
Morocco: Dahamco Announces $25BN Green Hydrogen Plan
Renewable energy firm Dahamco has announced plans to invest $25 billion in green hydrogen and ammonia projects across Morocco.
The multi-phase project will start with a $4.6 billion, one million per annum green ammonia facility. Scheduled for operations in 2031, the project will create 3,100 jobs, producing green hydrogen for export to the Amstredam-Rotterdam-Antwerp region.
Dahamco secured land rights and local authorizations for the first phase before Morocco formally invited the company to develop the project in November 2022, according to CEO Tom Hanson.
Link: https://energycapitalpower.com/morocco-dahamco-announces-25bn-green-hydrogen-plan/