Belgian engineer DEME Concessions NV is planning to start solar and wind-powered hydrogen production in the Arabian Sea port of Duqm, in Oman’s Al Wusta governorate.

The Belgian company is partnering with unnamed Omani partners to build an hydrogen plant expected to feature electrolyzer capacity of 250-500 MW. “Following this first phase, upscaling of the installation is foreseen,” the company added.

DEME said the site had been chosen because of strong solar and wind power potential and accessible onshore and offshore sites to host renewables generation assets. The engineer said the port location would enable the export of hydrogen to Europe, more specifically Antwerp, whose operator Port of Antwerp also has a stake in the Port of Duqm Company SAOC which runs the Omani facility.

A feasibility study into the hydrogen production facility is under way, according to DEME, which said it expects a final investment decision next year.

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The concept of using renewables to power hydrogen production in the Middle East and North Africa region is also at the heart of the new Desertec initiative. Originally conceived as a network of vast solar power sites across the region which would generate electricity to be exported to Europe, the scheme has been reborn with the local renewables resources now intended to generate green hydrogen and other synthetic, low-emission forms of energy for export as well as piggybacking the gas network.

Several large solar parks are being constructed in Oman under a procurement scheme managed by the Oman Power and Water Procurement Co.