With the Middle East fast becoming a hotbed for new renewables projects, a new huge new 518,000km2 (200,000m2) waste-to-hydrogen facility and solar farm has been announced in Oman.
Landfill waste. Credit: Belish / Shutterstock
Much of the waste converted at the plant will be taken directly from landfills in a bid to tackle the nation's mounting waste issue. Credit: Belish / Shutterstock
Forged as part of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between H2 Industries and Omani business Madayan, which handles public development in the country, to the tune of $1.4 billion (€1.2 billion), it is set to be one of several large waste-to-energy plants in the region.
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The pair claim the plant will handle around one million tonnes of solid waste per year with an export value of over $268 million (€247 million) taken directly from suppliers, companies or directly from landfills, where it will be converted into around 67,000 tonnes of green hydrogen for the grid.
Not only will this provide a reliable source of hydrogen for energy needs, but it will also allow the nation to deal with waste - a growing issue in the Sultanate.
Home to over three million people, the country produces around 1.9 million tonnes of solid waste every year, equating to around 1.5kg daily per capita. Much of this will end up in landfills, sewers, or even the sea or streets.
Should the plant work successfully, this could be scaled up to four million tonnes annually.
“This is an exciting opportunity and one that will take the tons of waste that collects in Oman and turn it into green hydrogen,” H2's executive chairman Michael Stusch said.
“The $1.4 billion investment into Oman will make a substantial contribution to the country’s waste management strategy and demonstrates how fighting climate change and enhancing environmental protection can go hand in hand."
The plant will use H2 technology that is able to convert organic waste, including plastic, sewage and other types of landfill waste into hydrogen through a thermochemical process involving melting down the waste into gas and extracting the hydrogen.
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More importantly, this is apparently done without the use of external electricity or gas, leading to significantly reduced emissions. The electricity for the plant will be generated through the accompanying solar plant.
Once the planning stage is over, H2 hope to commence production within 30 months. The hydrogen at the plant can be used in the nations' grids or sold and shipped internationally.
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