Hydrogen hype: Is it truly the fuel of the future?
Here’s why the GCC is well-positioned globally to play a leading role in the supply of hydrogen
The new buzzword in the energy landscape has been decarbonisation, with hydrogen being touted as the fuel of the future. But how far has the GCC actually progressed in the production and deployment of hydrogen? And where is it headed? We speak to Martin O’Neill, VP - Product Management at GE Gas Power and head of GE’s Center for Decarbonisation, to find out more.
Hydrogen has become a hot topic of interest globally and regionally. In the GCC, where do we stand right now in terms of hydrogen production/adoption?
The GCC is starting to look at hydrogen as the primary fuel in a future where only low-carbon fuels will be allowed to burn. With huge reserves of hydrocarbons that have fuelled the world for decades and the increasing global interest in hydrogen for power generation and other uses, we see more and more oil and gas companies in the Gulf focusing on the production of either blue hydrogen or blue ammonia. This is a means for them to remain relevant in the global energy market in the decades ahead as well. We are still at the beginning but plans have already been announced by Saudi Aramco, ADNOC and NEOM to produce either hydrogen or ammonia, which is a suitable carrier of hydrogen, and to ship this fuel overseas to markets such as Japan, South Asia and potentially other parts of the world as well.
What are the biggest challenges in deploying hydrogen for power generation?
There are many practical challenges in the use of hydrogen as a fuel for power generation:
• Transporting and storing hydrogen
Martin O’Neill, VP - Product Management at GE Gas Power and head of GE’s Center for Decarbonisation requires special considerations due to its property of attacking and embrittling certain materials and the extreme pressures and temperatures needed to compress and liquefy it.
• Operating a gas turbine on a fuel with hydrogen may require changes to combustion, fuel and plant safety systems.
• Hydrogen has a heating value that is approximately one-third of natural gas. For a given volume of flow, hydrogen delivers less energy. It is also a smaller molecule than natural gas, meaning that it can leak through seals that would be leak-free in a natural gas system.
• Hydrogen is more flammable than natural gas and special considerations are needed for the safe operation of a gas turbine with a natural gas/ hydrogen fuel blend.
• The flame temperature of hydrogen is higher than natural gas. This could result in an increase in NOX emissions depending on the concentration of hydrogen in the fuel and the specific combustion system in the gas turbine.
• There is the issue of traceability and certificates of origin. We need a clear and common understanding of grey, blue, green and other colours of hydrogen and need to know who can provide adequate certification that carbon dioxide formed during the hydrogen production process was stored properly.
Additionally, there are issues that need to be addressed at a systemic level. The more hydrogen you produce, the more renewable energy and carbon capture and storage solutions you need. And the more renewable energy you generate, the more you will need of energy storage, smart grid management systems and integration. This is a very interconnected, integrated world and a lot of work needs to be done to materialise it. There are several ‘colours’ when it comes to hydrogen – blue, green, grey, turquoise, brown, pink, yellow and white, among others. Can you elaborate on how it all works and which is better?
A colour-based convention is being used internationally to describe and differentiate hydrogen production methods:
• Grey (or black): Gasification of coal or reforming of natural gas without carbon capture
• Blue: Reforming of steam methane reform (SMR) with carbon capture and storage
• Green: Electrolysis of water using renewable power
• Pink (Red): Electrolysis of water using nuclear power
• Turquoise: Pyrolysis of methane, which produces hydrogen and solid carbon as a by-product
• White: Gasification or other process using 100 per cent biomass as a feedstock
Long Ridge Energy Terminal, located in Ohio, US, plans to transition its 485 MW combined-cycle power plant to run on carbon-free hydrogen
In terms of power generation, what is important to note is that the source of the hydrogen doesn’t matter – once the hydrogen is produced, any given volume will burn the same way in a gas turbine to produce the same amount of power, regardless of what means it was produced by. We need to rapidly scale up low carbon hydrogen production – of different colours – if we want hydrogen to be a key part of the energy mix as we work towards deeper decarbonisation.
The UAE has been looking to ramp up production with the aim of exporting hydrogen in the near future. Saudi Arabia also aims to become the world’s ‘largest supplier of hydrogen’. How can GCC states ensure that they meet their ambitious hydrogen agendas?
Globally, more than 90 per cent of the industrial supply of hydrogen comes from a methane reforming process, commonly referred to as SMR. The feedstock for SMR is usually either methane or higher hydrocarbons. Green hydrogen, produced through electrolysis, is more energy intensive than blue hydrogen and requires large quantities of fresh water, which is not readily available in the GCC except through thermal desalination or reverse osmosis (RO) technologies. To meet their ambitious hydrogen agendas, the GCC states will need to utilise their hydrocarbon reserves to produce blue hydrogen, which typically has production costs less than half those of green hydrogen.
As an international player, how do you see the GCC measure up globally when it comes to the deployment of hydrogen?
The region is well-positioned globally to play a leading role in the supply of blue and green hydrogen and to remain at the heart of the world’s future energy ecosystem, as an exporter of this valuable, clean fuel. This is because the GCC has many of the ingredients needed to produce hydrogen costeffectively in the long run: enormous renewable energy potential; vast amounts of land for renewable energy projects; access to sea water; depleted oil and gas reservoirs to safely store carbon dioxide; and large reserves of natural gas. Additionally, countries in the Middle East can efficiently transport hydrogen to energy-deficient markets in nearby Africa, Europe and Asia.
How is GE adapting its portfolio to prepare for hydrogen-fuelled power generation?
Today, all GE gas turbines can burn hydrogen fuel to some degree and we are continuing to develop increased hydrogen capability for our gas turbines through in-house R&D and testing, as well as participating in US Department of Energy hydrogen fuel programmes. GE gas turbines have been operating with hydrogen fuel blends in a variety of industrial applications, including steel mills, refineries and petrochemical plants – more than 75 of our gas turbines have (or continue to) operate on fuels that contain hydrogen.
We recently announced that a project utilising GE’s 9F.05 gas turbine will power Australia’s first dual-fuel capable natural gas/hydrogen power plant – the Tallawarra B Power Station in New South Wales. The project aims to accelerate the energy transition in Australia using gas that can be further decarbonised by using hydrogen and hydrogen-blended fuels. GE is also enabling the transition of a 485 MW combined-cycle 7HA power plant in Ohio, US to run on carbon-free hydrogen. Long Ridge Energy Terminal, which owns the plant, is collaborating with GE and New Fortress Energy to provide carbon-free power to customers by blending hydrogen in the gas stream and transitioning the plant to be capable of burning 100 per cent green hydrogen over the next decade.
We need to rapidly scale up low carbon hydrogen production if we want hydrogen to be a key part of the energy mix as we work towards deeper decarbonisation
What is the concept of Almentor and how did the idea for it come about? Fikry: Almentor.net is an online video-based continuous learning platform. I had millions of viewers on social media and TV where I used to deliver my knowledge and experience in management to young people. I also lectured in universities and authored several books alongside my full-time job. This inspired and encouraged me to build an online platform that provides knowledge to all Arabs around the world as I witnessed the high demand for Arabic content and the lack of courses available for young Arabs that don’t speak other languages. I eventually decided to resign from ExxonMobil after over 20 years, as did the co-founder of Almentor, Ibrahim Kamel, leaving behind us 7-digit severance packages to devote 100 per cent of our efforts to bring our dream to life.
Give us an overview of the Arab e-learning market size?
Fikry: According to our market research, the addressable market is a population of over 400 million individuals, 60 per cent of whom are between the ages of 18 to 40, across both genders – our target audience. Moreover, about 25 million people are ready as of 2021 to consume continuous content online in the
MENA region with a potential to reach 100 million by 2030 at an average annual spend of $30-40 per learner.
You recently received $6.5m in a Series B funding round. To what end will this new injection of capital be used?
Kamel: Partech led this financing round, with the participation of Sawari Ventures, Egypt Ventures and Sango Capital, thus bringing the total financing that the company has garnered since its inception to $14.5m. The new injection of capital will be used towards upgrading the learning experience and the range of products, as well as to hire and retain additional talent.
Who are some of the high-profile personalities that will offer courses at Almentor?
Fikry: Almentor develops a passion for continuous learning, so learners will never cease to grow and develop. Therefore, a wide variety of subject matter experts contribute to our goal. While 5-10 per cent of these subject experts are celebrities, gurus and opinion leaders, the majority are academic and hands-on mentors in different verticals. Nevertheless, Almentor has the world’s largest Arabic video-based continuous learning library including over 12,000 videos coming from more than 400 mentors providing videobased courses on a revenue share basis with the platform. Equally important, Almentor develops, produces, hosts, markets and makes the collection for both B2C and B2B regional markets, with mentors sharing their expertise and presenting the courses under Almentor’s guidelines and processes.
Give us a business overview of Almentor.
Kamel: Proudly, Almentor has over one million registered learners along with more than two million learning experiences. A related point to consider, is that Almentor achieved 300 per cent year-on-year average growth since the platform was officially launched in 2018. We are confident about achieving our $10m sales plan in 2021. Our offices are currently located in Dubai, Cairo and Saudi Arabia, besides six studios. Our company has soared from a few employees to more than 170 employees today.
How did being part of a startup accelerator like Sheraa early on help?
Kamel: Almentor was invited to take part in the Sheraa Seed Programme which helped early-stage startups scale their businesses by optimising growth. Sheraa introduced Almentor to the UAE business community. Although Almentor didn’t receive funds from Sheraa, the PR and networking helped us get further exposure and reach, especially in our early stages. Almentor’s management and team had the opportunity to meet the right business players and entrepreneurs from different emirates and across sectors to share
In the last couple of years, Arabs have positively embraced the drastic change in the landscape of education, particularly e-learning
best practices and tips for success.
How does the Arab e-learning market compare to the West?
Kamel: In the last couple of years, Arabs have positively embraced the drastic change in the landscape of education, particularly e-learning. Not to mention, the pandemic also triggered the interest in online learning which they found convenient to their needs. About 25 million Arab learners are ready as of 2021 to consume continuous content online in the MENA region with a potential of reaching 100 million by 2030. This gives us an indication of the maturity of the Arab learners’ market as well as the growing demand for online learning in the MENA region. Almentor has broken through geographical barriers by providing an online video-based continuous learning platform for Arabs around the world, and is constantly applying best practices to adopt innovative ideas, add greater value to our learning system and provide additional help to online learners as they upgrade their skillset.
Ibrahim Kamel and Ihab Fikry, co-founders of Arab e-learning platform Almentor
Did Covid-19 require you to change the way you traditionally operate?
Fikry: Covid-19 has had a challenging and indefinite impact on the work environment worldwide. Thankfully, despite the confusion, Almentor has successfully reshaped its working environment and established a strong remote work culture with the help of our teams, who were keen to maintain healthy connections and reach our goals.
Moreover, due to the flexibility of the learning methods Almentor provides, it formed a partnership with governments to help develop and deliver tailored training programmes for employees, in addition to creating learning programmes for school students.
Is online learning set for even further digital disruption?
Fikry: Undoubtedly, e-learning is the future of education and Almentor will continuously meet the growing demand for e-learning which was accelerated by the pandemic. We’ve entered a new era that is considered a revolution in the world of education, and soon online learning will no longer be optional. People will not let go of the unlimited advantages including flexibility, where learners can set their own learning pace, in addition to accessibility where they can access content anytime and anywhere, which is much more cost effective.
What are some of the goals in the near- to mid-term?
Fikry: We’ve got major expansion plans including increasing the number of learners to reach 10 million before the end of 2025. We consider this as the first step in leading this space in our region.