Altaaqa partners with AFC Energy on fuel cell gensets

Majid T Zahid, Group President for Energy at Zahid Group (left) and Adam Bond, CEO of AFC Energy.

Middle East power rental company Altaaqa and UK fuel cell developer AFC Energy are partnering on the development of clean energy products.

The “long-term” partnership will use AFC Energy’s hydrogen fuel cell technology for off-grid applications “as part of a portfolio approach to the decarbonisation of electricity needs”.

Saudia Arabian company Altaaqa, which is part of the Zahid Group, has a 2GW capacity mobile diesel generator rental fleet and serves customers in the oil and gas, government, mining, military, power and construction sectors.

Majid T Zahid, Group President for Energy at Zahid Group, said, “Today marks the beginning of a new partnership with AFC Energy, an industry leader in delivering clean electricity.

“We are confident that together we will be a significant player in our Kingdom’s aim of becoming the world’s leading hub in the production of green hydrogen and ammonia.

Adam Bond, CEO at AFC Energy, said, “AFC Energy is delighted to be commencing our strategic partnership with Altaaqa, a partner of choice to many of the world’s leading industrial and energy companies, as they look to support industry’s transition to a net zero economy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East.

“This agreement provides a clear path for the future deployment of our products, directly supporting Altaaqa’s position as a market leader and providing a clear reference point for the rest of the region.”

The partnership was signed at the Extreme E Odyssey 21 racing championships in Al-`Ula, Saudi Arabia.

The deal was signed at the Extreme E Odyssey 21 racing championships in Al-`Ula, Saudi Arabia.

Extreme E is an FIA-sanctioned international off-road event in which competitors race electric sports utility vehicles (SUVs) across remote and harsh environments.

Bond said, “We are grateful to Extreme E for the platform they have given us to demonstrate and promote our zero emission power systems in some of the regions that are being hardest hit by climate change.”

The partnership is one of several recently announced by the companies.

In March, Zahid Group announced that it had established a joint venture company with Total to develop solar energy installations for commercial and industrial customers in Saudi Arabia.

Also in March, AFC Energy agreed a link-up with international consultancy and construction firm Mace Group.

In addition to deploying AFC Energy’s zero-emission hydrogen generators across Mace’s construction sites, the company’s said they would work with equipment rental companies and the UK Government to promote and transition to using hydrogen-based fuels.