Population increases lead to energy increases, the cycle keeps on going and we tend to neglect the fact that we consume a huge amount of electricity, all but ignoring the existence or the idea of sustainable energy. Siemens Middle East has found an incredible new solution, green hydrogen.
By transforming the electricity from solar PV into hydrogen through solar-powered hydrogen electrolysis, energy from the sun can be stored, even for extended periods of time. This provides power plants and others generating power with a clean fuel source that can be used whenever demand requires.
Hydrogen Solutions
Governments and entities in the Middle East are embracing renewable energy. But as they take advantage of the immense potential of resources such as the sun and wind in the region, they face a huge hurdle of integrating electricity supply into existing grids that are generally designed for traditional stable power generation. On the other hand, governments are using and pushing sustainable energy into industries such as manufacturing and transportation. Clean hydrogen can also help address the challenges of carbon-free transportation, with fuel cell vehicles powered by hydrogen emitting only water as waste. These vehicles can fill their hydrogen tanks in just a few minutes, compared to much longer charging times for electric vehicle batteries. Hydrogen power is also ideal for heavy-duty transport because it offers significantly longer ranges than exclusively battery-powered vehicles.
Green Hydrogen in Egypt and Morocco
The Egyptian government has signed an agreement with Siemens Group to launch green hydrogen in Egypt. This partnership is to balance the country’s electricity mix with renewable energies. This policy of sustainable development has, in recent years, led to the development of major clean energy projects. In practical terms, hydrogen makes it possible to store excess electricity produced at certain times and return it later. By embarking on green hydrogen, Egypt joins Morocco, which is exploring this solution in partnership with Germany. The industrial hydrogen plant to be built in Morocco is expected to transform the country’s renewable energy sector and thus reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 100,000 tonnes.
Green Hydrogen in Dubai
The opportunities that clean hydrogen can provide will be soon available in Dubai as well. The construction of the first ‘green’ hydrogen plant is underway, as part of a public-private partnership between Siemens, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA), and Expo 2020 Dubai. The pilot facility is the Siemens SILYZER solar PV-powered PEM (proton exchange membrane) electrolyzer, a technology that contains proven quality and proficiency. The project as a whole will explore all systems and all regional sustainability goals. For the Middle East’s utility and industrial sectors, the innovative SILYZER PEM technology, which can be powered by either solar- or wind-generated electricity, offers particular benefits such as gas quality, no chemical waste, and high efficiency at high power density.
