Saudi grants Acwa ‘exclusive rights’ to green hydrogen exports

State-owned power and desalination major Acwa has said Saudi Arabia has granted it the “exclusive rights” to export green hydrogen and derivatives produced in the country.

In a statement, Acwa said the government approval gave it the right to export green hydrogen and derivatives like green ammonia, methanol, and other fuels to “international markets.”

It’s unclear whether Acwa has now become the only company permitted to export green hydrogen from the Kingdom. H2 View has reached out to Acwa for confirmation.

While Saudi Arabia has long exercised tight control over oil exports through state-owned entities, it had not previously announced exclusive export rights for an emerging energy commodity such as green hydrogen.

Under the new approval, Acwa is also assigned responsibility for developing clean power production, transmission, and export projects that target “European and Arab markets.”

Dr Samir Serhan, CEO of Acwa, said the Kingdom’s backing reflects confidence in the company’s competency to deliver infrastructure, create opportunities, and bolster the country’s position in the global energy transition.

“This mandate expands Acwa’s role in contributing to the Kingdom’s future clean energy economy and defines the next architecture of Saudi Arabia’s energy export strategy,” he added.

Acwa, which has about 52.3 GW of renewables in its portfolio, holds a one-third stake in the 2.2GW  and is developing plans for a  in the port city of Yanbu.

The Yanbu project could eventually comprise more than 10GW of wind and solar to produce 2.5 million tonnes per year (tpa) of green ammonia. Neom is expected to produce almost 220,000tpa of green hydrogen for conversion into green ammonia by 2027.

The approval comes as Saudi Arabia aims to retain its status as an energy exporter, coinciding with Acwa’s push for large-scale projects.

While combining renewable power assets, port infrastructure, and significant state investment could position it as a leading green hydrogen exporter, the country has also seen the delays and uncertainty that have affected other regions.