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Oman signs liquid hydrogen corridor deal

16 April 2025

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Oman has signed a historic joint development agreement to establish the world’s first commercial-scale liquid hydrogen corridor linking Oman to the Netherlands and Germany.

The corridor will enable the export of renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO)-compliant liquid hydrogen from Oman’s Port of Duqm to the Port of Amsterdam and to key logistics hubs in Germany, including the Port of Duisburg, and then onward to other European countries.

The deal was signed during a state visit by Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik, Prime Minister of Oman, to the Netherlands.

Hydrogen Oman (Hydrom), the sultanate’s hydrogen orchestrator, said the plan entails building the world’s largest hydrogen liquefaction, storage and export terminal, which will be established at the Port of Duqm.

The facility will ensure upstream production is aligned with national plans, and that the project integrates seamlessly into Oman’s broader hydrogen infrastructure and policy framework.

State-backed energy group OQ will lead the liquefaction infrastructure, which involves developing the hydrogen plant along with related storage and export facilities.

The centralised facility will draw from Duqm’s growing renewable hydrogen developments, leveraging the port’s strategic location as a maritime hub and special economic zone. 

The centralised liquefaction plant will be supported by maritime transportation vessels developed by Ecolog, which will ship liquid hydrogen with zero boil-off, ensuring greater efficiency and reduced losses.

On the European side, the corridor will be anchored by re-gasification import terminals at the Port of Amsterdam, from which the hydrogen will be distributed to industrial offtakers in the Netherlands and Germany via gas pipeline networks, rail connections and barge distribution through the Dutch canal network.

The groundbreaking deal is one of several government-to-government agreements related to Oman's ambition of developing a global hydrogen hub.

In December, Hydrom and the Belgian Hydrogen Council signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), setting the stage for enhanced cooperation across the hydrogen value chain.

The MoU sought to align policies; promote knowledge exchange and technological advancements; and explore opportunities across hydrogen production, infrastructure, transportation and utilisation.

In the first two rounds of its land auctions, Hydrom has signed land concession agreements with teams led by Denmark’s Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, South Korea’s Posco and France’s Engie; Japan’s Marubeni; France’s EDF; and a team comprising London-based Actis and Australia’s Fortescue.

Oman has also signed what it refers to as legacy projects with other teams led by Belgium’s Deme, BP and Shell.

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Jennifer Aguinaldo

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