Hydrogen Power Abu Dhabi (HPAD)
World’s first hydrogen power plant with CCS
This project will take natural gas from the grid and convert it to hydrogen and CO2. The hydrogen power plant will generate approximately 400 MW of low-carbon electricity – this project alone would provide more than 5% of all Abu Dhabi’s current power generation capacity.
Up to 1.7 million tonnes of CO2 per year will be transported to a producing oil field and used to replace natural gas that is currently being injected into the oil field to maintain pressure. This natural gas could then be used either domestically or for export. This process will release a significant amount of natural gas for Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates.
The CO2 injected into the oil field will also enable previously unrecoverable oil to be produced. If this technology is widely deployed it could boost Abu Dhabi oil production anywhere between 1-3 billion barrels. As the oil is forced out, the CO2 will remain stored securely beneath the oil field's natural impervious seal.
The project requires a total capital investment (excluding CO2 transportation and storage) of about AED 7 billion (US$2 billion).
June 2009 saw completion of Front End Engineering Design (FEED) activities. Development of Request For Proposal (RFP) for Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract is also complete and ready for issuing to market later in 2010 once commercial arrangements with off-takers have been finalised. The partners aspire to make the decision to proceed with construction by the 2nd quarter of 2011. If a decision to proceed can be made at this time, the plant could commence pre-commissioning activities in 2014.
At peak, about 3,000 - 4,000 constructions jobs may be created during construction of the onshore facilities. Up to 100 permanent jobs may be created when the power plant is operational.
