A groundbreaking Joint Development Agreement (JDA) has been signed to establish the world’s first liquid hydrogen import corridor, connecting the Sultanate of Oman, the Netherlands, and Germany. This corridor will link the port of Duqm in Oman, the port of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and key logistics hubs in Germany, including the port of Duisburg in Germany, enabling the commercial-scale import of renewable fuel of non-biological origin (RFNBO) compliant liquid hydrogen to Europe. The agreement was signed during the state visit by His Majesty the Sultan of Oman to the Netherlands.

Key Elements of the Agreement

The agreement was signed by eleven parties in total, including prominent players like Hydrom, Oman’s national green hydrogen orchestrator, OQ, Oman’s global integrated energy group, Tata Steel Nederland, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG and Hynetwork, bringing together all the critical links for the envisioned supply chain. This supply chain capitalizes on proven technologies for the liquefaction, transport, storage, and distribution of liquid hydrogen. ECOLOG’s advanced vessel design ensures net zero boil-off, eliminating cargo loss in marine transportation. This transformative innovation significantly reduces unit freight costs, setting a new standard for efficiency and sustainability.

The agreement comprises several key components vital to the corridor’s development. First, the development of a centralized liquefaction, storage, and export facility at the port of Duqm, which is one of the hubs for Omani-produced green hydrogen. Second, discussions will be held on the pricing and delivery of liquid hydrogen to offtakers located in the broader Amsterdam area, as well as offtakers located elsewhere in the Netherlands and Germany, with EnBW as the aggregator. Finally, the aligned development of dedicated infrastructure throughout the corridor, including export and import facilities in the ports of Duqm, Amsterdam and Duisburg, as well as for several distribution modalities for gaseous and liquid hydrogen, most notably gas pipeline networks, rail connections, and barge distribution leveraging the Netherlands extensive canal network.

A Step Toward Global Hydrogen Leadership and Energy Security

This agreement is a significant step in Oman’s ambition to become a global leader in the green hydrogen export market, while simultaneously strengthening Europe’s energy security. The initiative also supports the EU’s clean energy goals, helping to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors, such as steelmaking and transport.

“This agreement represents a landmark moment in our commitment to clean energy,” said Ms. Sophie Hermans, the Dutch Minister for Climate and Green Growth. “By linking Omani green hydrogen with Europe’s energy needs, we are advancing our shared climate goals and creating a sustainable energy pathway.”

Oman’s Minister of Energy and Minerals, H.E. Eng. Salim Nasser Al Aufi, added, “This partnership reflects Oman’s commitment to playing a leading role in the global green hydrogen economy, while strengthening ties with Europe to support its sustainable clean energy transition.” The JDA builds on the existing partnership between Hydrom, the Omani Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Port of Amsterdam, ECOLOG and EnBW for the development of the liquid hydrogen corridor. This latest development brings us one step closer to delivering large-scale green hydrogen volumes from Oman to Europe by 2029.

About Gasunie

Gasunie is a European energy infrastructure company. Gasunie’s network is one of the largest pressure pipeline networks in Europe, comprising over 17,000 kilometres of pipeline in the Netherlands and northern Germany. Gasunie provides natural and green gas transport services through its subsidiaries, Gasunie Transport Services B.V. (GTS) in the Netherlands and Gasunie Deutschland in Germany. With its crossborder gas infrastructure and services, Gasunie facilitates TTF, which has become a leading European gas trading point. Gasunie also provides other gas infrastructure services, including gas storage and LNG. Gasunie wants to help accelerate the transition to a CO2 neutral energy supply and believes that gas related innovations, for instance in the form of renewable gases such as hydrogen and green gas, can make an important contribution. Both existing and new gas infrastructure play a key role here. Gasunie also plays an active part in the development of other energy infrastructure to support the energy transition.