The export of liquefied hydrogen is one of the most prominent features of the strategic transformation in the Sultanate of Oman, especially after it signed a historic agreement in April 2025 to develop the first global trade corridor for liquefied hydrogen.
This corridor connects the Port of Duqm in the Sultanate with the Port of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, reaching key logistics centers in Germany such as the Port of Duisburg.
Experts, speaking to the Washington-based Energy Platform, emphasized that this agreement, in which Hydrom, OQ, and the Port of Duqm participated, represents a pivotal step toward consolidating the Sultanate’s position as a global center for the production and export of green hydrogen.
The Sultanate seeks to capture a significant share of the global clean energy market, with a targeted production of 1.25 million tons annually by 2030 and investments estimated at approximately $49 billion.
A qualitative leap
Engineer Salah Mahdi, Global Director of the Hydrogen Sector at Chart Industries (a leading global company in hydrogen liquefaction and transportation technologies), confirmed that the Sultanate of Oman’s move to establish the first global trade corridor for the export of liquefied hydrogen , linking it to the Netherlands and Germany, represents a qualitative leap and a proactive vision that combines ambition and realism.
He added that this historic agreement sends a clear message to the world that the Sultanate of Oman is not only exploring hydrogen opportunities, but is also moving to implement it on a practical, large-scale scale.
He emphasized that this project reflects the Sultanate’s drive to become a major player in the global hydrogen economy, leveraging its excellent natural resources of solar and wind energy, its strategic geographic location, and its strong partnerships with European countries.
Mahdi explained that the success of this corridor depends on three main factors:
- The ability to cost-effectively scale up green hydrogen production and liquefaction.
- Developing reliable infrastructure including liquefaction, shipping, and regasification.
- Aligning these efforts with European demand and energy policies.
“If this project is implemented well—and initial indications are clear—this corridor could become a model for intercontinental hydrogen trade,” he said.
A global model for hydrogen trade
In statements to the specialized energy platform, Engineer Salah Mahdi believes that the Sultanate of Oman’s choice of liquefied hydrogen (LH₂) technology is a strategic choice.
He added that liquefied hydrogen enables transportation in large quantities over long distances and could follow the example of liquefied natural gas (LNG), making it a scalable and tradable option, and its economic viability could increase thanks to rapid advances in cryogenic technologies.
He added that with an integrated system that includes large-scale green hydrogen production, advanced liquefaction technologies, refrigerated container shipping, and regasification facilities in Europe, this project could become a global model for hydrogen trade and a clean energy artery linking the Middle East and Europe.
Regarding transportation methods, Mahdi explained that choosing the most appropriate method for exporting hydrogen depends on geography and distance, noting that for short distances or intercontinental distribution, pipelines are the most cost-effective option due to their low energy loss and ease of operation.
But when it comes to intercontinental trade—such as from Oman to Europe—pipeline routes aren’t a practical option. This is where liquefied hydrogen comes in, which can be transported across oceans using specialized tankers, just like liquefied natural gas (LNG).
He said that the liquefaction and sea freight option represents the most appropriate solution at the present time for intercontinental transportation.
Promising projects
Engineer Salah Mahdi confirmed that several countries in the Middle East and North Africa region are considering similar projects to export liquefied hydrogen.
He added that Chart Industries is currently working with a number of developers in these countries to produce and liquefy hydrogen locally and export it efficiently to Europe.
He explained that this region possesses strong potential, including abundant renewable energy sources, extensive coastlines, and geographical proximity to major demand centers in Europe and Asia, enabling it to leverage advanced hydrogen liquefaction and refrigerated transportation technologies to achieve its goals.
He expected that the Sultanate of Oman, as a pioneering country, would set standards and establish infrastructure models in this field. Other Arab countries with an industrial base and investment ambition could then catch up and engage in this vital market.
For his part, Matt Moran, Managing Director of Moran Innovation LLC, a leading company in the field of liquefied hydrogen, pointed out that this step has given the Sultanate of Oman a strong competitive advantage as a pioneer in this field, at a time when other countries have begun to attempt to follow the same path.
In his statements to the specialized energy platform, Moran expected that Oman would also benefit from the lessons learned from the experience of exporting liquefied hydrogen, which took place several years ago from Australia to Japan.
Strategic partnerships
Moran said that Oman has several strengths, most notably: the availability of vast solar radiation resources, the low cost of land suitable for expanding solar power plants , an existing natural gas infrastructure, and a trained workforce.
He added that the Sultanate also has an abundance of seawater and methane gas as a raw material for hydrogen production.
He explained that the success of this project requires establishing strategic trade partnerships with major importers, noting that the Netherlands and Germany are ideal partners for Oman.
He attributed this to several reasons, including existing commercial relations in the field of liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipping, high energy demand and low seasonal solar radiation, and the fact that both countries have an existing infrastructure to accommodate hydrogen and use it in multiple market sectors that are witnessing significant growth.
He added, “There are other factors that support success, such as the large, long-term investments needed to build the required infrastructure, which may come from sovereign wealth funds.”
Achieving economic feasibility
Moran compared export methods, whether liquefaction or pipeline transportation, in terms of economic feasibility, noting that choosing the optimal method depends on the desired scenario.
He explained that natural gas is the most suitable model for distributing and exporting hydrogen in its gaseous form, and is more suitable for regional or local distribution, including blending into existing natural gas pipelines.
While the liquid form is best suited for long-distance export, and for customers who need hydrogen in its liquid state for specific uses.
Moran highlighted the important complementarity between the two methods, namely the possibility of generating high-pressure gas from liquefied hydrogen without the need for compressors or by using smaller compressors.
He added that this technology has been used for decades in the refrigeration industry in what are known as “pressure-building” systems, noting that it allows for the recovery of a portion of the energy used in the liquefaction process.
He pointed out that there are also various ways to improve the overall system efficiency by using heat exchangers that exploit the cooling energy inherent in liquefied hydrogen, and these components are common in carefully designed systems.
Liquefied hydrogen export market
Moran emphasized that several Arab countries are qualified to enter the liquefied hydrogen export market as strongly as Oman, given their ability to expand production.
He explained that green hydrogen is an ideal strategic option for most Middle Eastern countries to transition away from oil and gas production, especially as the world moves toward reducing pollution and carbon emissions from fossil fuels.
He pointed out that hydrogen systems are present in many chemical plants and oil refineries, in addition to the existing skills, workforce, and infrastructure.
He added that these capabilities give Arab countries a strong competitive advantage to capitalize on this new opportunity, explaining that over time, oil and gas customers will also be the new consumers of hydrogen in the future, as the energy transition continues.
Frank Wouters, Chair of the Hydrogen Alliance for the Middle East and North Africa and former Deputy Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency, said that liquefying green hydrogen is one way to transport it via ships, in addition to converting it to ammonia or combining it with a liquid organic hydrogen carrier.
He added that given the momentum in the liquefied hydrogen space, the Middle East and North Africa Hydrogen Alliance launched a liquid hydrogen task force last year.
He continued, noting that transporting hydrogen via pipelines is the cheapest option for transporting green molecules in large quantities, stressing that it is more economically viable than shipping. However, shipping is more flexible and does not require complex cross-border pipelines.
The cheapest way to export hydrogen
In a previous study, OAPEC revealed the cheapest way to export hydrogen, across various transportation routes.
According to a study prepared by the organization’s gas and hydrogen expert, Engineer Wael Hamed Abdel-Moati, when comparing the various hydrogen trade routes expected to be prevalent by 2050, ammonia emerges as an effective option across a wide range of transport distances and quantities.
Ammonia ships can be used commercially to transport quantities starting from 0.4 million tons of hydrogen annually, over distances of up to 15,000 kilometers.
According to the study, transporting hydrogen via new pipelines “appears to be an effective option for relatively short distances, up to 2,000 kilometers, with the potential to transport any amount of hydrogen, whether as small as 0.1 million tons per year or as large as 1.5 million tons per year.”
If existing oil and gas pipelines are repurposed—if available and operational by 2050—they could transport hydrogen further, up to 8,000 kilometers, in varying quantities, making them more competitive with the route of transporting hydrogen after conversion to ammonia.
Hydrogen transport using liquid organic hydrogen carriers is “effective for small quantities that can be transported over distances of more than 11,000 kilometers.”
While the range of liquefied hydrogen appears limited by the appropriate distance factor of 2,000 to 3,000 kilometers, in order to avoid increasing losses resulting from evaporation during transportation, and in quantities of no less than 0.7 million tons of hydrogen annually, and up to 1.5 million tons of hydrogen annually.