DEWA and Siemens Begin Development of Solar-Powered Hydrogen Project

The facility is being built at DEWA’s outdoor testing facilities in the R&D Centre at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai.

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Expo 2020 Dubai and Siemens have begun work on what is soon to become the first solar-powered hydrogen electrolysis facility in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, Chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, broke ground for the project.

The facility is being built at DEWA’s outdoor testing facilities in the Research and Development (R&D) Centre at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai.  

“The Green Hydrogen project is part of our efforts to support the vision to promote sustainability and innovation and lead the transformation towards a greener economy. This pilot project is the first of its kind in the MENA region to produce hydrogen using clean energy. It supports DEWA’s efforts in innovation, research, and development in energy storage and sustainability, which is one of the themes of Expo 2020 Dubai,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.

“This pioneering project is a role model for strategic partnerships between the public and private sectors. It will contribute to developing the green economy concept in the UAE and explore the potential of green hydrogen technology. The hydrogen produced at the facility will be stored and deployed for re-electrification, transportation and other uses,” added Al Tayer.

Expo 2020 Dubai intends to showcase hydrogen mobility by powering a number of fuel-cell vehicles with the hydrogen generated at the facility.

Joe Kaeser, CEO of Siemens AG, said, “Along with our partners DEWA and Expo 2020 Dubai, we made the commitment less than a year ago to bring green hydrogen to Dubai. Siemens has pioneered this space globally, generating green hydrogen from renewable energy using Proton Exchange Membrane electrolysis. This project will be an important contribution to the evolving energy mix in Dubai and the UAE.”