Tata Steel Nederland wants to establish what it claims to be the world's first import corridor for liquid hydrogen with three countries and several companies. The green hydrogen produced in Oman will supply customers in Germany and the Netherlands.
According to Tata Steel, a groundbreaking Joint Development Agreement (JDA) has been signed to establish the world’s first liquid hydrogen import corridor, connecting the Sultanate of Oman, the Netherlands, and Germany. This corridor will link the port of Duqm in Oman, the port of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and key logistics hubs in Germany, including the port of Duisburg in Germany.
The agreement enables the commercial-scale import of renewable fuel of non-biological origin (RFNBO) compliant liquid hydrogen to Europe. The contract was signed during the state visit by His Majesty the Sultan of Oman to the Netherlands. Tats Steel Nederland, the port of Amsterdam and Ecolog are among the big industrial organisations that make this new trade corridor possible.
International and European cooperation
The agreement was signed by eleven parties in total, including prominent players like Hydrom, Oman’s national green hydrogen orchestrator, OQ, Oman’s global integrated energy group, Tata Steel Nederland, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG and Hynetwork, bringing together all the critical links for the envisioned supply chain. This supply chain capitalizes on proven technologies for the liquefaction, transport, storage, and distribution of liquid hydrogen. ECOLOG’s advanced vessel design ensures net zero boil-off, eliminating cargo loss in marine transportation. This transformative innovation significantly reduces unit freight costs, setting a new standard for efficiency and sustainability.
The agreement comprises several key components vital to the corridor’s development. First, the development of a centralized liquefaction, storage, and export facility at the port of Duqm, which is one of the hubs for Omani-produced green hydrogen. Second, discussions will be held on the pricing and delivery of liquid hydrogen to offtakers located in the broader Amsterdam area, as well as offtakers located elsewhere in the Netherlands and Germany, with EnBW as the aggregator. Finally, the aligned development of dedicated infrastructure throughout the corridor, including export and import facilities in the ports of Duqm, Amsterdam and Duisburg, as well as for several distribution modalities for gaseous and liquid hydrogen, most notably gas pipeline networks, rail connections, and barge distribution leveraging the Netherlands extensive canal network.
A Step Toward Global Hydrogen Leadership
Accordíng to Tata Steel, this agreement is a significant step in Oman’s ambition to become a global leader in the green hydrogen export market, while simultaneously strengthening Europe’s energy security. The initiative also supports the EU’s clean energy goals, helping to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors, such as steelmaking and transport.
Hans van den Berg, CEO Tata Steel Nederland says: "In our role as a large potential buyer, 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 we also help to build a new ecosystem together with other companies."
Oman’s Minister of Energy and Minerals, H.E. Eng. Salim Nasser Al Aufi, added, “This partnership reflects Oman’s commitment to playing a leading role in the global green hydrogen economy, while strengthening ties with Europe to support its sustainable clean energy transition.” The JDA builds on the existing partnership between Hydrom, the Omani Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Port of Amsterdam, ECOLOG and EnBW for the development of the liquid hydrogen corridor. This latest development brings us one step closer to delivering large-scale green hydrogen volumes from Oman to Europe by 2029.
Source: Tata Steel Nederland
