Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-04T23:09:09.393Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

7 - Net Zero Emissions in the GCC Region

Challenges and Opportunities for Green Hydrogen Applications

from Part III - Infrastructure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2025

By
Ahmed Badran
Edited by
Wael A. Samad ,
Ahmed Badran  and
Elie Azar
Wael A. Samad
Affiliation:
Rochester Institute of Technology – Dubai
Ahmed Badran
Affiliation:
University of Qatar
Elie Azar
Affiliation:
Carleton University
Get access

Summary

This chapter investigates the premise and potential benefits of green hydrogen (i.e. extracting hydrogen by using energy generated from renewable sources) for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. These countries are currently researching and developing new technologies that will enable them to fulfil their international commitments to reducing carbon emissions and greenhouse gases. The aim of this chapter is to explain how green hydrogen – an energy source that produces environmentally friendly energy – works, the opportunities resulting from its application with regard to net zero emissions, as well as the challenges which may hinder its adoption in the GCC region. In addition to having favourable circumstances for producing green hydrogen, these countries’ vast oil reserves provide the hydrocarbons required to produce this innovative energy source. In this context, the green hydrogen industry’s prospects, constraints, as well as potential impacts on the GCC countries’ ability to meet net zero emissions goals and achieve carbon neutrality are studied.

Keywords

carbon neutralitygreen hydrogenGulf Cooperation Council (GCC)net zero emissions
Type
Chapter
Information
Carbon Neutrality in the Gulf
Between Well-intentioned Pledges and the Harsh Reality
 , pp. 134 - 150
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Al Sharq (2021). Qatar Energy and the Korean Hydrogen Alliance sign an agreement for cooperation in the field of hydrogen. Available online: www.qatarenergy.qa/en/MediaCenter/Pages/newsdetails.aspx?ItemId=3687.Google Scholar
Al-Ain news (2021a). Green hydrogen is the UAE’s vision to shift towards a sustainable economy. Available online: https://al-ain.com/article/green-hydrogen-uae-vision-transition-economy.Google Scholar
Al-Ain news (2021b). Mubadala enhances hydrogen economy efforts in the midst of a global agreement. Available online: https://al-ain.com/article/an-understanding-between-mubadala-and.Google Scholar
Anouti, Y., Kombargi, R., Elborai, S., and Hage, R. (2021). The dawn of green hydrogen: maintaining the GCC’s edge in a decarbonized world (Strategy&). Available online: www.strategyand.pwc.com/m1/en/reports/2020/the-dawn-of-green-hydrogen/the-dawn-of-green-hydrogen.pdf.Google Scholar
Babonneau, F., Badran, A., Benlahrech, M., Haurie, A., Schenckery, M., and Vielle, M. (2021). Economic assessment of the development of CO2 direct reduction technologies in long-term climate strategies of the Gulf countries. Climatic Change 165 (3–4), p. 64. Doi: 10.1007/s10584-021-03058-4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Badran, A. (2012). The rationale behind the creation and diffusion of independent regulatory agencies: the case of the telecommunications sector in Egypt. International Journal of Public Administration 35 (3), pp. 204–213. Doi: 10.1080/01900692.2012.638521.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Badran, A. (2013). Understanding the Egyptian regulatory state: independent regulators in theory and practice, in Dubash, N. K., and Morgan, B. (eds.), The Rise of the Regulatory State of the South. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 53–74. Doi: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199677160.003.0003.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Badran, A. (2017). Revisiting regulatory independence: the relationship between the formal and de-facto independence of the Egyptian telecoms regulator. Public Policy and Administration 32 (1), pp. 66–84. Doi: 10.1177/0952076716643381.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Badran, A. (2021). Energy resilience and climate change in the GCC. Başkent Congress on Physical, Social and Health Sciences.Google Scholar
Badran, A. (2022). Independent regulators in the Middle East, in Handbook on Regulatory Authorities. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing.Google Scholar
Bockris, J. O. M. (2013). The hydrogen economy: its history. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 38 (6), pp. 2579–2588. Doi: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2012.12.026.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cho, R. (2021, 7 January). Why we need green hydrogen. State of the Planet. Available online: https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2021/01/07/need-green-hydrogen/.Google Scholar
Constable, M. (2021). Are we really close to using hydrogen energy? Available online: www.hbku.edu.qa/ar/news/hydrogen-energy-fast.Google Scholar
Dodds, P. (2015). Compendium of Hydrogen Energy. Sawston: Woodhead Publishing, Elsevier. Doi: 10.1016/C2014-0-02671-8.Google Scholar
Esily, R. R., Chi, Y., Ibrahiem, D. M., and Chen, Y. (2022). Hydrogen strategy in decarbonization era: Egypt as a case study. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 47 (43), pp. 18629–18647. Doi: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.04.012.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fraile, D., Altmann, M., & Barth, F. (2016). Study on hydrogen from renewable resources in the EU: Final report. Publications Office. Available online: https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2843/28276.Google Scholar
Germscheidt, R. L., Moreira, D. E. B., Yoshimura, R. G., Gasbarro, N. P., Datti, E., dos Santos, P. L., and Bonacin, J. A. (2021). Hydrogen environmental benefits depend on the way of production: an overview of the main processes production and challenges by 2050. Advanced Energy and Sustainability Research 2 (10), p. 2100093. Doi: 10.1002/aesr.202100093.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hydrogen Council (2020). Path to Hydrogen Competitiveness a Cost Perspective. Available online: www.hydrogencouncil.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Path-to-HydrogenCompetitiveness_Full-Study-1.pdf.Google Scholar
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) (2018). Hydrogen from Renewable Power: Technology Outlook for the Energy Transition. Available online: www.irena.org/-/media/files/irena/agency/publication/2018/sep/irena_hydrogen_from_renewable_power_2018.pdf.Google Scholar
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) (2019). Hydrogen: A Renewable Energy Perspective. 30 September. Available online: www.irena.org/publications/2019/Sep/Hydrogen-A-renewable-energy-perspective.Google Scholar
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) (2020a). Green Hydrogen: A Guide To Policy Making. Available online: www.irena.org/publications/2020/Nov/Green-hydrogen.Google Scholar
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) (2020b). Reaching Zero with Renewables: Eliminating CO2 Emissions from Industry and Transport in Line With the 1.5°C Climate Goal. Available online: www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2020/Sep/IRENA_Reaching_zero_2020.pdf.Google Scholar
Masdar (2019). Dumat Al Jandal. Available online: https://masdar.ae/en/masdar-clean-energy/projects/dumat-aljandal.Google Scholar
Mataluci, S. (2021). The Hydrogen Stream: Italy’s Eni lays out plans in Algeria and Egypt, UAE joins race with help from Japan. PV Magazine. Available online: www.pv-magazine.com/2021/07/09/the-hydrogen-stream-hydrogen-arrives-in-long-island-eni-lays-out-plans-in-algeria-and-egypt-uae-joins-race/.Google Scholar
Oman News Agency (2021). Signing the land reservation agreement for the green hydrogen and ammonia project in progress. Available online: https://omannews.gov.om/.Google Scholar
Pekic, S. (2021, October 19). Qatar Energy and Shell team up for hydrogen solutions. Offshore Energy. Available online: www.offshore-energy.biz/qatarenergy-and-shell-team-up-for-hydrogen-solutions/.Google Scholar
Philibert, C. (2020). Methane splitting and turquoise ammonia. Ammonia Energy Association. Available online: www.ammoniaenergy.org/articles/methane-splitting-and-turquoise-ammonia/.Google Scholar
Qamar Energy (2020). Hydrogen in the GCC: A Report for the Regional Business Development Team Gulf Region. Available online: www.rvo.nl/sites/default/files/2020/12/Hydrogen%20in%20the%20GCC.pdf.Google Scholar
Rouwenhorst, K. H. R., Krzywda, P. M., Benes, N. E., Mul, G., and Lefferts, L. (2021). Ammonia production technologies, in Valera-Medina, A., and Banares-Alcantara, R. (eds.), Techno-Economic Challenges of Green Ammonia as an Energy Vector. London: Academic Press, Elsevier, pp. 41–83. Doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-820560-0.00004-7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sarathi, M. (2021). Green hydrogen is the energy source of the future. Available online: www.kaust.edu.sa/ar/news/green-hydrogen%E2%80%99s-time-is-now.Google Scholar
Shumkov, I. (2020). Record low bid for 2-GW solar project shines in Abu Dhabi. Available online: www.renewablesnow.com/news/record-low-bid-for-2-gw-solar-project-shines-in-abudhabi-696804/.Google Scholar
Sturm, H. (2018). Hydrogen economy for Arab Countries. Available online: www.researchgate.net/publication/326827521_aqtsad_alhydrwjyn_lldwl_alrbyt.Google Scholar
Thapa, B. S., and Thapa, B. (2020). Green hydrogen as a future multi-disciplinary research at Kathmandu University. Journal of Physics: Conference Series 1608 (1), p. 012020. Doi: 10.1088/1742-6596/1608/1/012020.Google Scholar
van Renssen, S. (2020). The hydrogen solution? Nature Climate Change 10 (9), pp. 799–801. Doi: 10.1038/s41558-020-0891-0.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×