Oman plans 300 – 400km hydrogen pipeline by 2030
MUSCAT, APRIL 24: OQ Gas Networks (OQGN), the sole owner and operator of Oman's national gas transportation network, says it anticipates the development of hydrogen pipelines ranging in length from 300 – 400 kilometres by 2030, in conjunction with the growth of the country's green hydrogen industry.
Funding approval for this initiative, conceived in line with its mandate as the National Infrastructure Provider for the hydrogen transportation network, is expected in 2027, the publicly traded, majority state-owned company said in its newly published 2024 Annual Report.
'OQGN will follow a phased approach, beginning with regional pipelines, which can later be expanded into a nationwide hydrogen network. By 2030, the Company expects 300-400 km of hydrogen pipelines to be built, with the final investment decision (FID) expected by 2027,' OQGN – part of OQ Group - stated.
The 'regional lines' in question are a reference to OQGN's role in rolling out hydrogen pipelines as part of an end-to-end, integrated common use infrastructure (CUI) encompassing dedicated networks for electricity supply, ultrapure water and other utilities. This infrastructure will be made available for use by the eight consortiums currently in the early stages of developing their green hydrogen projects in dedicated blocks in Al Wusta and Dhofar governorates.
OQGN says it plans to leverage its expertise in the operation of the country's 4,235 km gas transportation network in rolling out the new hydrogen network. To this end, it is working with Hydrogen Oman (Hydrom) – the architect of Oman's green hydrogen industry – on the technical aspects of the proposed hydrogen pipeline system for the country.
'OQGN is collaborating with Hydrom, which orchestrates implementing the green hydrogen strategy, bringing together producers, end-users, and infrastructure providers. While Hydrom facilitates discussions and attracts foreign direct investment (FDI), OQGN is responsible for the technical and operational development of the pipeline infrastructure,' the company noted.
Last year, in line with its remit as the National Infrastructure Provider for the hydrogen transportation network, OQGN signed a MoU with the consortium developing the SalalaH2 green hydrogen project in Salalah. The multinational consortium, comprising OQ Alternative Energy, Marubeni Corporation, UAE-based Dutco Group and Samsung C&T of South Korea, is targeting the production of 1 million tpa of green ammonia and 175,000 tpa of green hydrogen.
Also in 2024, OQGN conducted a strategy study to evaluate the complexities of developing hydrogen infrastructure and its commercialization, it noted in its Annual Report.
Furthermore, in parallel with its hydrogen pipeline strategy, OQGN is master planning the development of a carbon dioxide (CO₂) transportation network infrastructure to link CO₂ emission sources with storage and utilization sites.
'Some CO₂ will be stored underground for carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects, while other volumes will be used as feedstock in industries such as fertilizer production, desalination, and enhanced oil recovery in upstream oil and gas operations,' it said.
Envisioned for implementation on the CO2 front is a project with energy major Shell focusing on the development of underground CO2 storage. Separately, OQGN is collaborating with Oxy Oman in the development of a CO2 network to support the latter's enhanced oil recovery operations.
Additionally, the company is 'collaborating with Shell, OQ, and PDO on Blue Horizons' low-carbon and ammonia project, which is currently in the pre-FEED (front-end engineering design) stage, to explore commercial models and ensure shareholder value'.
Further into 2025, OQGN plans to initiate developmental work on a regulatory and commercial framework for hydrogen and CO₂ transportation. Additionally, the company plans to advance technical studies for hydrogen and CO₂ projects, ensuring readiness for the final investment decision in 2027.
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