City's $2 trillion plan includes massive, game-changing power plant: 'Build a foundation of expertise'
At the 29th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP29, Neom Green Hydrogen Co. CEO Wesam Al-Ghamdi gave good news regarding the development of the world's largest green hydrogen facility.
The green hydrogen facility is expected to begin production in late 2026 and "will rely entirely on solar and wind energy to power a 2.2 gigawatt electrolyzer that will produce hydrogen continuously," according to CleanTechnica.
The facility is part of a nearly $2 trillion Saudi Arabian city that will operate on renewable energy when completed in 2040.
Green hydrogen is produced through electrolysis, which uses electricity to separate hydrogen from water. However, according to CleanTechnica, not all electrolysis is sustainable, as some "electricity is made from thermal generation that relies on coal or methane."
If the hydrogen could be made solely from renewable energy, including wind or solar, then "this method of obtaining green hydrogen would save the 830 million tonnes [915 million U.S. tons] of CO2 that are emitted annually when this gas is produced using fossil fuels," Iberdrola explained.
Fossil fuels are nonrenewable energy sources, such as coal, oil, and gas. Burning them, which we do for the majority of our energy needs, releases polluting gases including carbon dioxide. Excess carbon dioxide warms the planet, causing rising sea levels, extreme weather events, ocean acidification, and habitat loss, among other issues.
These dirty fuels won't last — they're on track to be depleted by 2060. In order to meet the planet's growing energy needs, we need to switch to sustainable methods of creating green energy.
Al-Ghamdi hopes the new facility will not only effectively produce hydrogen but also bring tourism, sustainability, and a boost to the economy.
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"Our goal isn't just to produce hydrogen but to build a foundation of expertise here in Saudi Arabia," Al-Ghamdi said, per Arab News.
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