Shell and QatarEnergy, formerly Qatar Petroleum, and have signed an agreement to pursue joint investments in blue and green hydrogen projects in the UK, QatarEnergy said on Oct. 19.
The partners will target integrated and scalable opportunities in key sectors where hydrogen could help decarbonize, especially around industrial cluster development and also for the transport sector, with a focus on the London metropolitan area. The collaboration will exploit both companies’ expertise in delivering large and technically complex energy projects.
Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the minister of state for energy affairs, president and CEO of QatarEnergy, said: “The agreement creates a viable path for innovation and investments in low carbon fuels and technologies across the UK’s energy sector.”
Ben Van Beurden, CEO of Shell, said he believes hydrogen will play an important role in helping society reach net zero and that momentum is growing. “QatarEnergy’s expertise, in collaboration with Shell’s, will support the UK’s energy transition and help propel this fast-growing sector,” he added.
QatarEnergy is the world’s largest LNG exporter. The company recently changed its name from Qatar Petroleum, signalIng a new strategy focused on energy efficiency and environmentally-friendly technologies. Shell has been looking to diversify its energy portfolio, which also includes hydrogen. The Anglo-Dutch supermajor has signed up for several projects to develop large-scale hydrogen production, including its green hydrogen plant in Rotterdam, expected to be completed in 2023.