Saudi Arabian energy giant Aramco announced on December 4 that it had signed five agreements with French companies on a variety of projects, Oil and Gas Middle East reports.
The agreements included an announcement between Aramco and French renewable energy technology firm Gaussin to establish a modern manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia focused on on-road and off-road hydrogen-powered vehicles.
In a statement, the two companies announced that Aramco’s Advanced Innovation Center (LAB7) would be working closely with Gaussin’s hydrogen-powered vehicle and remote-controlled/autonomous hydrogen racing truck developments. In addition, Aramco will also sponsor the world’s first hydrogen-fueled racing truck at the 2022 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia. Gaussin developed the truck.
The signing of the agreements took place in Jeddah at an event organized by the Saudi Ministry of Investment. Attendants included Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid Al Falih, Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness of France Franck Riester, and Aramco President and CEO Amin Nasser.
“This partnership is a continuation of Aramco’s long-standing relationship with a number of leading French companies. It represents an opportunity to promote hydrogen as a low-carbon solution, not just for motorsport, but eventually for mass transportation as well,” Nasser said in the statement.
“Such collaboration helps us to advance economic growth in the Kingdom as part of the Namaat industrial investment program and takes us a step closer to our shared vision of a more sustainable future,” he added.
Aramco also announced MoUs with French companies Air Liquide, on low carbon-hydrogen and ammonia production, and an additional agreement on carbon capture & sequestration (CCS); Alteia, on developing advanced artificial intelligence geospatial imagery interpretation and processing in the Kingdom; and Axens, on Saudi-based manufacturing and maintenance services of furnaces and fired heaters.
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