ENOWA, the energy, water and hydrogen subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s megacity project NEOM, has established the region’s first Hydrogen and Innovation Development Center (HIDC).
The new facility, which is located in NEOM’s advanced manufacturing and innovation city, seeks to accelerate lab to market solutions and business development in the fields of hydrogen, green fuel production, utilization, and transportation.
HIDC will act as a testing ground for new technologies in the clean energy industry and a collaborative learning community for research institutions focused on hydrogen and the circular carbon economy (CCE). Through these collaborations, HIDC will look to produce and adopt decarbonized and clean synthetic fuels in partnership with oil giant, Saudi Aramco.
The new facility will fast-track the Kingdom’s goal to become a global hub of innovation and clean energy. Scheduled to open in 2023, HIDC will gather operational data from the facility’s first 20 MW electrolyzer from ThyssenKrupp Nucera which will be used in the world’s largest green hydrogen and ammonia plant operated by NEOM Green Hydrogen Company (NGHC). HIDC will also advance ENOWA’s plans with Air Products Qudra for H2 mobility to test advanced hydrogen-fuel cell-based mobility and logistics solutions in NEOM.
Peter Terium CEO – ENOWA
“NEOM is fast becoming one of the global accelerators for the hydrogen economy. Our ambition is to drive innovation and promote the economic implementation of future clean energy supplies. While the successful activation of ground-breaking technologies is important, fresh thinking and new energy solutions are just as essential. Our recent MoUs with NGHC, Saudi Aramco and Air Products Qudra demonstrate our tangible progress on this front. We look forward to attracting other global trailblazers to create a new future that will foster the next generation of hydrogen technologies.”
HIDC will attract talent from around the world to live, work, and innovate in a dynamic and modern ecosystem, which will be housed within OXAGON’s dedicated Research and Innovation District. The facility’s unique location fosters innovation and out-of-the-box thinking that will create a blueprint for the future and act as a catalyst for global start-ups focused on green hydrogen technologies and synthetic fuels.
HIDC’s pipeline of projects will also feature a filling station and distribution technology for zero-emission cars, buses, trucks and other clean energy applications, taking advantage of the rapid commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell technology. Together with Aramco, Air Products and ACWA Power, HIDC will validate hydrogen innovations, demonstrating the potential for upscaling across the Kingdom and around the globe.
ENOWA can produce large quantities of green hydrogen that can be adopted by multiple industries across the Kingdom with NEOM’s unrivaled solar, wind and water resources.
