Page 16 - Energize August 2022

NEWS

MEA region’s potential as an exporter of

green hydrogen

Green hydrogen seen as key industry to accelerate energy transition

iemens Energy and global around 50% between 2005 and 2021.
management consultancy Roland In the Middle East this increase was driven by heavy reliance on oil and gas and high
SBerger have launched the Energy standards of living. In Africa the drivers include population growth, underdeveloped
Transition Readiness Index for the Middle infrastructure and limited options for financing sustainable solutions.
East and Africa region. Responses from The region makes a relatively modest contribution to global emissions, with 7% of
around 400 energy industry experts, global CO2 emissions stemming from the Middle East and just 4% attributable to Africa.
who attended the MEA Energy Week However, it suffers disproportionately from the consequences of climate change in the form
conference last month, indicate that of heatwaves and severe weather events.
the region is well positioned to become The gap between perceptions and reality filtered through to participants’ expectations
a major future supplier of sustainable for future emissions cutting. The survey found that participants were expecting emissions
energy to global markets but will require to fall to 39% of their 2005 level by 2030; a widely optimistic view given the little that has
stabilising regulations, significant been achieved so far.
investments, and a substantial increase in “The disparity between the reality of the energy transition and perception in the Middle
collaboration to realise its potential. East and Africa highlights the eagerness of governments and companies to portray their
Despite its strong prospects to successes when it comes to decarbonisation,” said Karim Amin, Executive Board Member,
become a hotspot for sustainable energy, Siemens Energy.
the region scored only 26% on the “This excitement is a good thing and shows that companies and governments are
Readiness Index. Experts and decision interested but we need to make sure that it is backed up by real action. This should serve as
makers from the Middle East and Africa a reality check. We still have a long way to go to decarbonise our energy systems,” he added.
from across the energy sector were asked Participants were clear that emissions need to fall in the region across the board, not
to give their expert opinion on progress just in the energy sector but also in areas such as construction, industry and transportation.
on eleven energy priorities. Based on Decarbonisation efforts must be stepped up in order for the goal of carbon neutrality by
an aggregate of participants’ responses, 2050 to be realistic.
Siemens Energy and conference The conference highlighted major opportunities in the large-scale export of green
knowledge partner Roland Berger hydrogen as a potential way forward. Green hydrogen and its derivatives were a major topic
launched the index which describes the of discussion during the conference – especially its enormous potential for the Middle East.
perceived energy transition readiness on The United Arab Emirates has already announced its ambition to capture 25% of the
a scale of 0 to 100%. The survey yielded global market for hydrogen, while Saudi Arabia aims to become the world’s No. 1 supplier.
valuable data and insights that will be A total of 46 green hydrogen projects are already underway in the Middle East and Africa,
used to enhance key strategies for the with Oman (11 projects), the United Arab Emirates (9) and Egypt (7) leading the way.
energy transition in the region. “The Middle East can play a key role in addressing the new priorities of Europe’s
The conference participants view energy transition, through the export of green hydrogen and other potential mega projects
green hydrogen’s potential as aligned with focusing on cross-continent transmission of sustainable energy” said Pierre Samaties,
the region’s capabilities – in particular Partner at global management consultancy Roland Berger.
due to the availability of abundant and Hydrogen could also be the key to decarbonising the region’s economies, which are
low-cost renewables, existing export currently strongly focused on fossil fuels, and to decreasing today’s reliance on income
infrastructure and financing resources. from fossil fuels, especially in countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and
The report also highlighted a worrying Oman.
gap between perceptions and reality The Middle East and Africa Energy Week, held from 27 to 29 June 2022, is part of a
when it comes to progress on the energy series of conferences taking place in different regions globally. During the event, over 2000
transition. Conference participants on participants actively engaged in discussions, opinion polls and questions. They were also
average estimated that the region’s surveyed on the importance of major energy priorities and the progress made towards the
emissions fell by 23% between 2005 energy transition.
and today, with only around one-third
correctly identifying that emissions had Contact Asma Alsharif, Siemens Energy, asma.alsharif@siemens-energy.com,
not fallen at all. In fact, emissions grew by www.siemens-energy.com, Twitter: www.twitter.com/siemens_energy

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