Omani national utilities are spearheading the development of an integrated "common-use" infrastructure to streamline the country’s green hydrogen sector, officials announced this week.

OQ Gas Networks (OQGN), the state-owned utility designated as the national champion for hydrogen infrastructure, plans to develop approximately 200 kilometers of dedicated pipelines in Al Duqm. 

Similar systems are also planned for Salalah to connect production sites with export hubs and global markets.

The framework is designed to provide open access for hydrogen producers, creating economies of scale that officials say will make Oman’s hydrogen ecosystem more competitive.

Mansoor Ali Al Abdali, CEO of OQGN, said the company is currently part of a high-level steering committee overseeing the design and commercial modeling for the infrastructure.

"At OQGN, we aim to replicate our natural gas common-use network model for hydrogen infrastructure," Al Abdali said in an interview with The Energy Year. 

"We were the first to sign a memorandum of understanding with Hydrom, giving developers the option to use our hydrogen pipeline rather than build their own."

While some European nations have opted to repurpose existing natural gas lines for hydrogen transport, Al Abdali confirmed Oman will build new, dedicated networks for the initial rollout. 

He noted that as domestic gas demand continues to grow, repurposing existing infrastructure is not yet a viable primary option.

"Repurposing may occur later, but not during the initial build-out," Al Abdali said.

The project involves a coalition of national entities. While OQGN handles the transport of the gas, Nama Water Services will manage the critical water supply infrastructure required for electrolysis-based hydrogen production.

The initiative aims to position Oman as a global leader in clean energy by providing a seamless link between inland production sites and international shipping ports.