ENOWA, the energy, water and hydrogen subsidiary of NEOM, has established a Hydrogen and Innovation Development Center (HIDC) in NEOM’s advanced manufacturing and innovation city
The new facility aims to accelerate lab to market solutions and business development across the spectrum of hydrogen, green fuel production, utilisation and transport.
HIDC, which will be housed at OXAGON’s dedicated Research and Innovation District, will be a testing ground for new technologies in the clean energy industry and a collaborative learning community for research institutions focused on hydrogen and the circular carbon economy (CCE). Through these collaborations, HIDC will look to produce and adopt decarbonised and clean synthetic fuels in partnership with Saudi Aramco. The new facility will fast-track the Kingdom's goal to become a global hub of innovation and clean energy.
Scheduled to open in 2023, HIDC will gather operational data from the facility's first 20 MW electrolyser from thyssenkrupp Nucera which will be used in the world's largest green hydrogen and ammonia plant operated by NEOM Green Hydrogen Company (NGHC). HIDC will also advance ENOWA's plans with Air Products Qudra for H2 mobility to test advanced hydrogen-fuel cell-based mobility and logistics solutions in NEOM.
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."
HIDC's pipeline of projects will also feature a filling station and distribution technology for zero-emission cars, buses, trucks and other clean energy applications, taking advantage of the rapid commercialisation of hydrogen fuel cell technology. Together with Aramco, Air Products and ACWA Power, HIDC will validate hydrogen innovations, demonstrating the potential for upscaling across the Kingdom and around the globe.
Additionally, HIDC will collaborate closely with Aramco on synthetic fuels development. By leveraging HIDC’s capabilities in green hydrogen, Aramco will seek to fast-track development of its flagship in-house synthetic fuels programme and demonstrate the commercial and technical feasibility of synthetic fuel production. This collaboration will also enable HIDC to tap into Aramco’s experience in engineering, energy logistics and fuels research and development and to align with Aramco’s ongoing efforts to explore the potential for hydrogen-based low carbon fuels to support the global energy transition.
Aramco's 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.”
