KUWAIT: The scientific workshop "Hydrogen Valley in Kuwait" was opened under the patronage of Acting Director of Kuwait University, Dr. Fayez Al-Dhafiri, and in the presence of His Excellency the Dutch Ambassador to Kuwait, Lawrence Westhoff. It was organized and sponsored by Kuwait University, Netherland Enterprises Agency, and the Dutch Embassy in Kuwait.

During the opening ceremony, acting head of the Environmental Sciences Department at the College of Life Sciences, Dr Muhammad Al-Shawwaf, thanked the host and sponsors of the workshop (Dutch Projects Agency, Kuwait University, and Brunel), indicating that “a team of experts from the Netherlands is participating in the workshop. They include Hydrogen Architects, GGNI, and Brunel.

Also, the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Equate Petrochemical Company, and the United Arab Petroleum Organization will take part in the workshop. “The workshop aims to discuss Kuwait's roadmap with regards to alternative energy, the launch of the hydrogen market, the reduction of carbon emissions, and to explore opportunities for cooperation in the sustainable hydrogen value chain through research, development, and other initiatives,” Al-Shawwaf explained.

Dutch Ambassador Lawrence Westhoff expressed his happiness to be part of the program and cited real-life examples that indicate the rapid changes the companies are undertaking. “The reason for discussing Hydrogen Valley in this workshop is the dependence of current refining and petrochemical operations on hydrogen as a primary source and the production of hydrogen today for a commercial purpose, to be used as an intermediate material in the main industries in Kuwait, including the petrochemical industry, chemical industries, refineries, and cement production, he said.

He pointed out that hydrogen production (in Kuwait and around the world) is currently unsustainable due to its production from fossil fuels, but the production of clean hydrogen is expected to play a crucial role in decarbonizing hard-to-mitigate sectors such as petrochemicals, heavy industry, and long-distance transportation, where basic electrical energy such as solar and wind energy cannot be used. “By 2050, global demand for hydrogen is expected to range between 600 and 660 million tons, according to estimates by the Hydrogen Council, BP, Barclays Capital, and Bank of America," he added.