Cummins Arabia will develop a hydrogen gas production plant in Saudi Arabia along with the kingdom’s Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), after a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the two parties on the sidelines of the WETEX 2021 exhibition recently.
According to the announcement made by the two parties, the step is being taken to “meet the challenges of climate change with alternative energy” and the SWCC intends to implement the project in the context of its “commitment to developing innovative sustainable solutions for the water industry sector globally”.
The initiative is also in line with the Saudi Vision 2030 of adopting clean energy in its projects and diversifying its economic resources to lead the world in the production of alternative energy, the announcement said, adding that Cummins has the financial ability to deploy large-scale hydrogen projects, backed by a global presence, mass production facilities and active participation in different global energy councils (such as hydrogen councils) – all making the company a trusted player to meet the needs of the growing hydrogen economy.
The MoU was signed by Issam bin Abdullah Al-Jarba, executive director of Investments, SWCC, and Amit Deshpande, MD, Cummins Arabia, for their respective organisations. It is in line with Saudi Arabia’s approach “to cooperate in the production of clean hydrogen and establish a joint fund to innovate related technologies, a step to activate the circular carbon economy, to support strategic efforts and an outstanding commitment to confront climate change and reduce carbon emissions”.
The MoU included strengthening cooperation in engineering and research consultancy, and training in renewable energy. This is within the framework of SWCC’s direction as an industrial entity active in economic development – to tackle the challenges posed by global climate change by innovating practical solutions that employ modern and promising technologies and reduce carbon emissions; developing hydrogen gas production facilities and adopting hydrogen as an energy source; and to support the transformation of the water industry into a safe industry that is more committed to the environment and at a lower cost for the industrial and civil sectors.
