Tata Steel Nederland, Port of Amsterdam, and ten other parties have signed a joint development agreement for the world's first liquid hydrogen import corridor. This corridor connects the Port of Duqm in Oman, the Port of Amsterdam, and logistics centers in Germany, including the Port of Duisburg.

The agreement enables the large-scale import of liquid green hydrogen to Europe. The contract was signed during the State Visit of His Majesty Sultan of Oman to the Netherlands and in the presence of Reinette Klever, Minister for Foreign Trade.

This initiative builds upon the existing partnership between Hydrom, the Ministry of Energy and Minerals of Oman, the Port of Amsterdam, ECOLOG, and EnBW for the development of this hydrogen corridor. This step brings the large-scale supply of green hydrogen from Oman to Europe closer, with operations expected to commence in 2029.

European International Cooperation

The agreement was signed by a total of eleven parties, including organizations such as Hydrom (a pioneer in green hydrogen in Oman), OQ (Oman's energy company), Tata Steel Nederland, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG, and Hynetwork Services (a subsidiary of Gasunie). With the signing of the agreement, these parties bring together the various links in the supply chain. This chain utilizes proven technologies for the liquefaction, transportation, storage, and distribution of hydrogen.

An important link in the chain is maritime transport carried out by ECOLOG. A vessel developed by them enables the maritime transport of hydrogen without evaporation losses. This means that no cargo is lost during maritime transport. This innovative technology significantly reduces hydrogen transport costs.

The Joint Development Agreement contains several components. One of them is the development of a hydrogen liquefaction and export facility at the Port of Duqm in Oman. Discussions are also ongoing regarding the price and supply of liquid hydrogen to customers in the Amsterdam region, the rest of the country, and Germany.

Finally, efforts are underway to develop infrastructure along the entire corridor, including export and import facilities at the ports of Duqm, Amsterdam, and Duisburg, and various forms of hydrogen distribution, both gaseous and liquid (such as pipelines, rail connections, and inland waterway distribution) throughout the Netherlands and inland.

This green hydrogen corridor makes sectors such as the steel industry and transportation more sustainable and strengthens Europe's energy security.

Hans van den Berg, CEO of Tata Steel Netherlands, assured that from their position "as a potential key customer, we can contribute to the development of a sustainable economy based on green hydrogen in our region. In this way, we not only make our own production process more sustainable but also build a new ecosystem together with other companies."

Minister Sophie Hermans stated that "this agreement marks a milestone in our ambitions in the field of clean energy. By connecting Oman's green hydrogen with Europe's energy needs, we jointly advance towards our climate goals and the creation of a sustainable energy supply."

For Oman, the agreement is an important step in its ambition to become a global leader in green hydrogen export. The Minister of Energy and Minerals of Oman, Eng. Salim Nasser Al Aufi, noted that "this alliance demonstrates Oman's commitment to leading the global green hydrogen economy while strengthening our ties with Europe to support sustainable energy transition."