Gulf Construction Online - Work on track on Neom green hydrogen plant

Saudi Focus

Oxagon will host the $8.4-billion green hydrogen facility.

Work on track on Neom green hydrogen plant

01 August 2023

Global utility project developer Acwa Power has announced that work is in full swing at its $8.4-billion green hydrogen facility – being developed jointly by US industrial gases leader Air Products and Saudi futuristic city developer Neom – and is on track for completion by the end of 2026.

Set to become the largest green hydrogen production facility in the world, it is coming up at Oxagon within the Saudi futuristic city located in the country’s northwest on the Red Sea.

For the project, Haldor Topsoe, a global leader in catalysis and chemical processing, will be providing the technology to produce the green ammonia, along with Baker Hughes, the technology partner for hydrogen compression; while Air Products will be deploying its own air separation technology.

According to Neom, the plant will start producing green hydrogen from 100 per cent renewable energy sources in 2026, with production of up to 1.2 million tonnes of green ammonia annually – a figure equivalent to 600 tonnes of green hydrogen per day.

This green ammonia will be exported to global markets, supporting the decarbonization of the heavy-duty transport sector aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

It is estimated that as a direct impact of the plant, up to 5 million tonnes of CO2 will be saved per year, it added.

Meanwhile, leading French engineering and project management services company Assystem has been signed up by Enowa, the water and electricity subsidiary of Neom, to conduct a suite of pre-development studies for seven planned solar photovoltaic parks in the kingdom.

According to Assytem, the sites earmarked to host the solar parks stretch over 420 sq km covering Tabuk and Duba regions, potentially amounting to more than 20GW in energy generating capacity.

As per the deal, Assystem will deploy its experts to provide a range of services, which include a site assessment study, preliminary design of parks and master planning, environmental baseline surveys, an environmental and social impact assessment study, and permitting studies.

Among other developments taking place at Neom, Petromin, a leading multi-modal mobility solutions provider, has announced the opening of its state-of-the-art service centre in Neom, which will cater to the rapidly growing number of trucks, heavy machinery and other vehicles within the mega development.

Ideally located between Neom’s key projects, the Heavy Machinery & Truck Service Centre is equipped with cutting-edge technologies and facilities management solutions such as a dedicated water recycling plant and solar energy generation system, said Petromin.

In addition to the vehicle mainenance service, the facility will also have retail and F&B spaces, to offer customers a wide range of suitable dining and shopping options, it stated.