The recent visit of the Omani delegation to Germany marked a significant step forward in Oman’s and Germanies pursuit of setting up a green hydrogen economy. Facilitated and supported by the German Industry and Commerce office Oman, the delegation, led by H.E. Salim Al Aufi, Minister at the Ministry of Energy and Minerals (MEM) Oman, engaged in a series of impactful discussions and collaborations during their participation in the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (BETD) and during their trip across Germany. Besides the minister, the delegation comprised key figures such as Dr. Firas Al-Abduwani (MEM), Abdulaziz Al Shidhani (Hydrom), Najla Al Jamali (OQ Alternative Energy), and Pankaj Khimji, Advisor for External Trade and International Cooperation. Together, they delved into various aspects of green hydrogen infrastructure and collaboration opportunities across multiple cities in Germany.
The journey commenced in Leipzig, where the delegation discussed with VNG AG and further regional companies during an off-taker roundtable questions about future demand and supply. Subsequently Hydrom and VNG signed a MoU planning to analyze a hydrogen supply chain from Oman to Germany. The visit to Energy Park Bad Lauchstädt showcased innovative initiatives in Germany in green hydrogen production, storage, and distribution. The delegation observed a cavern head designated for gas storage, set to be converted for hydrogen storage, and witnessed the installation of wind turbines for the project, as well as the future site for the electrolyzers.
In Berlin, on the BETD panel on hydrogen sustainability standards, the minister highlighted Oman's strategy of prioritizing green hydrogen production in clearl alignment with EU sustainability criteria. Further the delegation gained important insights on certification and support schemes for initial off-take contracts during meetings with H2Global and LBST.
The delegation also visited key sites in Berlin, such as the Siemens Vocational Training Facility in Siemensstadt, to explore vocational training prospects and the PEM electrolyzer production site from Siemens Energy, which plans to supply stacks to a future 300-400 MW electrolyzer manufacturing site in Oman. Further the delegation had meetings with Bosch, E.ON and Uniper. A highlight was the signing of the agreement between SEFE GmbH and Oman LNG for LNG supply from 2026, which marks a milestone in the energy partnership between Oman and Germany.
Moving to Hamburg, our colleagues from the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce facilitated discussions with Lufthansa and Airbus, as well as the Cluster Agentur Erneuerbare Energien Hamburg around collaboration opportunities in aviation and shipping sectors. Obviously, a visit to Hamburg would not have been complete without a visit of Hapag Lloyd and the Hanseatic Energy Hub (HEH) together with EnWB. The visit concluded in Duisburg and Essen, meeting with representatives of ThyssenKrupp Steel, ThyssenKrupp Uhde & ThyssenKrupp Nucera, as well as visiting Carbon-Chem, followed by a meeting with RWE. The discussion with ThyssenKrupp focusing on green steel production, a key element in Oman's sustainable industrial initiatives.
This collaborative effort underscores the ongoing partnership in energy transition, supported by initiatives like the German-Omani Energy Dialogue and H2-diplo. AHK Oman, with our two colleagues Sousann El Faksch and Dr. Ruth Prelicz played a key role in facilitating these engagements, fostering stronger ties between the two nations in the domain of green hydrogen and sustainable energy solutions.
