Sultanate of Oman Joins International Partnership to Develop Hydrogen Economy
Muscat, Sept 5 (KUNA) -- The Omani Ministry of Energy and Minerals announced that the Sultanate of Oman has joined the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPEH), an international cooperation aimed at developing the hydrogen economy and fuel cell technologies, and accelerating their use in sectors such as transport, industry, power generation, and energy storage.
Omani Minister of Energy, Engineer Salem Al-Awfi, affirmed in a press statement on Saturday the Sultanate’s desire to make an active contribution to enhancing international cooperation in the hydrogen field. He noted that this membership represents an important milestone in the Sultanate’s journey toward building a hydrogen economy.
Al-Awfi stated that Oman seeks to establish a competitive global green hydrogen economy, expressing hope to contribute to international efforts that drive innovation, enhance cooperation, support the readiness of national competencies, and strengthen the policies and standards necessary to build a flexible and sustainable global hydrogen market.
For his part, Paulo de Miranda, President of the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy, expressed his welcome for Oman’s accession to the partnership, noting that it continues to grow and attract an increasing number of countries committed to developing the global hydrogen economy. He said that Oman’s “ambitious” vision in the field of low-emission hydrogen, its exceptional renewable energy potential, and its focus on developing large-scale production and export opportunities “make it a valuable addition to this international partnership.”
He highlighted the importance of the Sultanate’s role and its contribution of expertise and key insights in areas such as infrastructure, international markets, and the development of policies and standards, which help build a flexible and sustainable global hydrogen economy.
This membership allows Oman to expand cooperation opportunities with partner countries and benefit from international best practices in developing policies, regulatory frameworks, and technical standards, thereby supporting the growth of the hydrogen sector and contributing to linking local projects with international markets. It also represents a strategic step toward achieving the goals of Oman Vision 2040, particularly in knowledge-based economic diversification, innovation, and sustainability, by enhancing the Sultanate’s role in the global hydrogen economy.
Oman is among the few countries in the Middle East steadily advancing toward its national targets for hydrogen production as a low-carbon fuel by 2030. The year 2050 has been designated as the target for achieving net-zero carbon emissions, while investments are expanding in solar and wind energy capacities to power electrolyzers that will contribute to producing this clean fuel.
The International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPEH) was established in 2023 as an international government partnership aimed at facilitating and accelerating the transition to clean and efficient energy and transport systems using fuel cell and hydrogen technologies. The partnership currently includes 28 countries alongside the European Commission, representing more than 80 percent of global gross domestic product, as well as the majority of global hydrogen production and consumption. (End) M.J.B. / T.M.A.
