Clean hydrogen technologies are available, but costs remain challenging. By scaling up supply chains, these investments can drive cost reductions, whether from low‑carbon electricity or fossil fuels with carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). Saudi Arabia is exploring ways to become the top supplier of hydrogen in the world and has clean hydrogen production targets of 2.9 million tons per year (t/yr) by 2030. The current focus is to gain a large market share in blue hydrogen, particularly in the form of blue ammonia in the coming decade. In addition, hydrogen from renewable energy sources (“green hydrogen”) could mean a new industrial sector for Saudi Arabia. The city of Neom, is expected to play the central role in the Saudi interest in ushering in green hydrogen supply.The Center of Hydrogen & Energy Storage at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) is organizing this online technical forum that aims on bringing together leading experts in the field of hydrogen economy to discuss recent advancements and ambitions.
#
Time
Speaker
Presentation
1
19:00 - 19:30
Omar Yaghi
Recent Developments in Hydrogen Storage Material
2
19:30 - 20:00
Wolfgang Brand
The Global Status of Hydrogen Production and Transportation
3
20:00 - 20:30
Mazin Zareef
The Kingdom’s Vision and Ambitions regarding the Hydrogen Economy
4
20:30 - 21:00
Muhammad Akimaya
Challenges in Setting Socio-Economic Models for the Hydrogen Economy
Prof. Omar Yaghi
Professor
University of California Berkeley
Omar M. Yaghi received his B.S. degree from State University of New York-Albany (1985), and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois-Urbana (1990) with Professor Walter G. Klemperer. He was an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University (1990-92) with Professor Richard H. Holm. He has been on the faculties of Arizona State University (1992-98), University of Michigan (1999-2006), and UCLA (2007-2011). He is currently the James and Neeltje Tretter Chair Professor of Chemistry at UC Berkeley, and a Senior Faculty Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He is the Founding Director of the Berkeley Global Science Institute. He is also the Co-Director of the Kavli Energy NanoScience Institute, and the California Research Alliance by BASF.
Title of Presentation:
Recent Developments in Hydrogen Storage Material
Mr. Wolfgang Brand
Vice President
NEOM Green Hydrogen
Wolfgang Brand is vice president, NEOM Green Hydrogen. He is responsible for developing and implementing the world’s largest green ammonia project to sustainably supply carbon-free hydrogen for transportation globally and save the world three million tons per year of CO2.
Mr. Brand joined Air Products in 2020, bringing 20 years of industrial gases and petrochemical industry experience, along with a portfolio of leadership experience, project execution and business development successes. Before joining Air Products, Wolfgang was the chief executive officer and managing director of EMT in Penzberg, Germany. Prior to this, Mr. Brand held various positions of increasing responsibility at Linde AG Engineering, including process engineer, project director, and vice president of Petrochemicals Business Development and Sales.
Title of Presentation:
The Global Status of Hydrogen Production and Transportation
Dr. Mazin Zareef
Advisor
Ministry of Energy
Mazin Zareef joined KSA’s Ministry of Energy in 2020 as an advisor and he is currently leading the Hydrogen team within the circular carbon economy national program. Mazin’s career spans over more than 22 years in the energy sector. He worked in leading positions with multinational companies like Baker Hughes and General Electric. Mazin has a degree in mechanical engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals and an MBA from the University of Manchester.
Title of Presentation:
The Kingdom’s Vision and Ambitions regarding the Hydrogen Economy
Dr. Muhammad Akimaya
Assistant Professor
King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM)
Muhammad Akimaya is currently an Assistant Professor of Economics at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. His research interests lie in the area of energy policy, energy markets, and political economics. He has publications in Energy Economics Journal and Journal of Transport Economics and Policy. He has been teaching principle of macroeconomics course and energy economics course for both undergraduate and graduate students. He received his PhD in Mineral and Energy Economics from Colorado School of Mines, while also serving as a teaching assistant for undergraduate and graduate level course such as Principles of Economics and Economics of International Energy Markets. He is also an active member of International Association for Energy Economics.
Previously, he worked for BP MIGAS, the Indonesian state upstream oil and gas activities regulator, as an assistant to the Deputy Chairman for Financial Control. He holds a MS in Mineral and Energy Economics from Colorado School of Mines and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University, West Lafayette.
Title of Presentation:
Challenges in Setting Socio-Economic Models for the Hydrogen Economy
