(MENAFN- The Arabian Post) Arabian Post Staff -Dubai

The governments of the northern United Arab Emirates have taken a bold step into natural-hydrogen exploration with the collaboration among the Sharjah National Oil Corporation, Siemens Energy and Decahydron to assess the use of naturally occurring hydrogen for power generation and other industrial applications. This marks a decisive departure from traditional fossil reliance and underscores Sharjah's ambition to secure a foothold in the emerging hydrogen economy. The initiative rides on ongoing technical studies by Decahydron and SNOC at an existing exploration well in Sharjah, with initial findings reported as encouraging and further drilling scheduled for 2026 to gather detailed resource data and measure flow rates.

The emerging project will evaluate whether natural hydrogen - distinct from hydrogen produced by electrolysis or reforming - can feed power turbines or serve heavy industry without the extensive storage, transport and conversion infrastructure typically required for conventional“green” or“blue” hydrogen. Siemens Energy brings its global hydrogen and energy-system expertise into the alliance, while Decahydron focuses on mineralisation and subsurface hydrogen resources. SNOC, as the emirate-owned upstream and midstream energy company, provides the local infrastructure and regulatory engagement needed to steer the resource development. The companies frame the effort as a potential new low-carbon energy source that could serve data centres, manufacturing plants and other energy-intensive uses in the UAE.

Figures within the consortium underscore the significance of the move. SNOC's chief executive, Khamis Al Mazrouei, said the feasibility study could mark“a new chapter in Sharjah's energy landscape-providing an abundant, naturally occurring source of clean energy.” Siemens Energy's UAE managing director, Khalid Bin Hadi, described hydrogen as central to decarbonising the power sector, adding that this collaboration sets a new course for natural-hydrogen in the Gulf region. Decahydron's CEO, Arnaud Lager, said early findings suggest the potential for continuous supply directly from subsurface sources and that Sharjah and the northern Emirates hold“exceptional potential”.

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Global context reinforces the ambition behind the project. The UAE aims to become one of the top ten hydrogen-producing countries and to capture a 25 per cent share of the low-carbon hydrogen key markets, according to statements from leading federal energy officials. Sharjah's drive aligns with this broader national strategy. Previously SNOC announced its intent to explore green hydrogen and carbon capture within its portfolio as part of its pathway to net-zero emissions. Now the emphasis on naturally occurring hydrogen marks a notable shift in approach.

The technical front remains complex. Natural hydrogen projects remain nascent worldwide, with questions around resource size, continuity of flow, well economics, contaminants and commercial usability still to be resolved. The Sharjah initiative is built on preliminary well-site data, but the drilling slated for 2026 will be critical in determining resource scale and flow rate viability, which in turn will affect whether the hydrogen can be used directly for power generation or whether it will need conversion. Siemens Energy's role will involve analytical and technical verification of commercial potential, while SNOC's project governance will oversee permitting, regulatory interaction and integration with Emirate infrastructure.

Industrial demand in the Gulf region adds urgency to the project. With increasing energy consumption from data centres, hydrogen applications in manufacturing, and a drive to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors, natural hydrogen presents a complementary path to electrolytic hydrogen and renewables. The potential upside includes bypassing some of the cost and complexity of hydrogen storage and pipeline transport by tapping subsurface reservoirs directly. If proven viable, the Sharjah project could serve as a model for other Middle East jurisdictions investigating hydrogen from unconventional sources.

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Strategic risks remain. Project economics will depend on the continuity and purity of hydrogen flows, the cost of drilling and well development, regulatory frameworks, and the readiness of industrial hosts to adapt infrastructure. Market competition is intensifying: electrolytic green hydrogen is scaling rapidly and could outpace unconventional hydrogen if production and storage costs fall further. Moreover, hydrogen certification, transport logistics, and industrial offtake agreements remain evolving domains globally. For Sharjah and the GNOC-Siemens-Decahydron alliance, time to commercial decision-making will be an important metric.

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