RIYADH: The UAE’s National Hydrogen Strategy received a renewed push as the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. began constructing the Middle East’s first high-speed hydrogen refueling station in Masdar City. The refueling station will use an electrolyzer powered by clean grid electricity to generate pure hydrogen from water, according to a press release. Considered to be a clean energy source, hydrogen creates no carbon dioxide emission when used and has the highest energy per mass of any fuel. It can provide vehicles with a longer driving range and faster refueling times than battery-powered vehicles. “Hydrogen will be a critical fuel for the energy transition, helping to decarbonize economies at scale, and it is a natural extension of our core business,” said Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber, in a statement. Al-Jaber, also the managing director and group CEO of ADNOC, added: “Through this pilot program, we will gather important data on how hydrogen transportation technology performs as we continue to develop the UAE’s hydrogen infrastructure.” The company has partnered with Toyota Motor Corp. and Al-Futtaim Motors to use their fleet of hydrogen-powered vehicles to test the refueling station. The pilot program will assist ADNOC in assessing how high-speed hydrogen refueling can be used in mobility projects, enabling the nation to be one of the world’s top hydrogen producers by 2031. The station, projected to operate in 2023, will be followed by a second station in Dubai Golf City, added the release. “The need to reduce carbon emissions to address climate change is clear and urgent. ADNOC is placing sustainability and decarbonization at the heart of its strategy. While we decarbonize our operations today, we are making robust investments to be a supplier of choice for the clean energies of tomorrow,” stated Al-Jaber. The company has set aside $15 billion to invest in new energy and decarbonization technology and advance and expedite lower-carbon solutions. ADNOC’s investments align with its plans to cut carbon emissions by 25 percent by 2030 and enable it to reach net-zero levels by 2050 aim.