Japan and the UAE are firming up their ambitions to cooperate in hydrogen, with the countries signing last week a new collaboration deal on information exchange.

Under the virtual agreement between Japan’s deputy minister for economy, trade and industry Kiyoshi Ejima and UAE’s energy minister Suhail Al-Mazrouei, the parties will share information on the development of regulations and standards for hydrogen.

The end goal is to develop a supply chain for exports to Japan, but further steps are yet to be taken before this can be achieved, Kallanish notes.

Ejima said in a statement released by the Japanese ministry (METI) that the UAE could become “a cheap hydrogen supplier,” thanks to its abundant renewable energy and fossil fuels. He voiced his interest in deepening the bilateral cooperation in the alternative fuel.

The new deal adds to the agreement signed between METI and Abu Dhabi’s oil company Adnoc to develop ammonia as a fuel. It also complements Japan’s carbon-neutrality goal and targets to create annual hydrogen demand of 3 million tonnes by 2030, before increasing it to 20m t by 2050.

The Asian nation, among one of the top importers of liquified natural gas in the world, is betting on hydrogen/ammonia to generate power, decarbonise industry and transport.