SNOC, Siemens collaborate to explore natural hydrogen

The northern Emirates is considering natural hydrogen as a medium for power generation or other industrial uses, as Sharjah National Oil Corporation and Siemens Energy has collaborated with Decahydron, a natural hydrogen and carbon mineralisation company, to assess its feasibility

The collaboration expands ongoing technical studies by Decahydron and SNOC on an existing exploration well in Sharjah to assess the Emirate’s natural hydrogen potential. Early results are encouraging, with drilling planned for 2026 in order to provide detailed resource data and measured flow rates.

The project intends to avoid storage and transport costs while creating a new low-carbon energy source for the UAE, which could be used for energy-intensive facilities such as data centres.

Khamis Al Mazrouei, CEO of SNOC, said, “We look forward to advancing this feasibility study in parallel with our ongoing exploration activities. The potential discovery of natural hydrogen could mark a new chapter in Sharjah’s energy landscape — providing an abundant, naturally occurring source of clean energy. If proven viable, it would not only strengthen Sharjah’s role in the national energy transition but also reaffirm SNOC’s commitment to driving sustainable, secure, and resilient energy solutions for generations to come.”

Khalid Bin Hadi, Managing Director UAE, Siemens Energy, said, “Hydrogen has the potential to be central to the decarbonisation of the power sector, and our technology is ready to enable this transition. This collaboration marks the start of a new initiative to explore the potential of natural hydrogen as a clean, sustainable energy source for the region.”

Arnaud Lager, CEO of Decahydron, said, “Natural hydrogen has the potential to transform the energy landscape. Our early findings suggest that this resource could redefine how clean hydrogen is produced by offering an abundant and continuous supply directly from the Earth. This is the right moment for the energy industry to come together and prepare for the opportunities that natural hydrogen will bring. Our work indicates that Sharjah and the northern Emirates hold exceptional potential, a finding also supported by independent research from the Colorado School of Mines and the Université de Pau.”