UAE state-owned clean energy developer Masdar has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Austria’s largest electricity supplier, Verbund, to explore opportunities for green hydrogen production and export to central Europe. The firms have specified they will focus on green hydrogen supply to Austria and southern Germay.

Verbund last month signed a similar MoU with Saudi government-affiliated developer Acwa Power to cooperate on export-oriented projects in the Middle East. The utility is also developing projects within its domestic market, with a 300MW green hydrogen development in eastern Austria announced in July last year.

Austria has set targets to supply 100pc of its electricity consumption with renewables and replace 80pc of grey hydrogen used in industry with low-carbon varieties of the gas by 2030. The country also aims to install 1GW of domestic electrolyser capacity by that year. And while it has not set specific targets for imports, Austria’s status as a net energy importer may necessitate bringing in volumes from global markets.

80pc – Austria’s target replacement of grey hydrogen with green by 2030

“Masdar has long pioneered green hydrogen as an energy source for the future, and today we believe that future is upon us. We are committed to developing our green hydrogen business, as we see it playing a significant role in the global energy transition,” says the developer’s CEO, Mohamed Jameel Ramahi. The firm launched its green hydrogen business in December last year, buoyed by state oil firm Adnoc’s acquisition of a 43pc stake in the unit.

“We look forward to partnering with like-minded companies like Verbund to accelerate investment in this sector and to meet growing demand in Europe,” he adds.

Earlier this month, Masdar signed an MoU with a Dutch consortium including the Port of Rotterdam to establish a green hydrogen supply chain between the UAE and the Netherlands. The developer is also working with German energy company Uniper to develop an export-focused green hydrogen project in the UAE.

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Author: Polly Martin