RIYADH — Ahmed Al-Saadi, senior vice president of Saudi Aramco for technical services, said that the company aspires to localize production of hydrogen vehicles in the Kingdom, as well as to develop related technologies through the company's Advanced Innovation Center, called LAB7. He said that the use of hydrogen fuel would be instrumental in bringing down emissions in the transportation sector, especially in the category that is difficult to decarbonize such as heavy vehicles. "Saudi Aramco is cooperating with major motor manufacturers and technology developers to support developing internal combustion engine models, technologies with lower emissions and efficient hybrid solutions," he said. According to Al-Saadi, the current trend to develop innovative fuels and efficient technologies for internal combustion engines contributes to reducing emissions from the automotive sector in the future. Saudi Aramco had revealed earlier the participation of the first hydrogen-powered truck in the 2022 Dakar Rally races that had set off on Jan. 1 from Jeddah on the first leg of this year's more-than-4,000-mile off-road race. Produced by the French automotive startup Gaussin SA and sponsored by Saudi Aramco, the H2 Racing Truck ran the first 12-mile stage of the race as a demonstration vehicle. This is part of Saudi Aramco's project of sponsoring vehicles that run on hydrogen. Hydrogen fuel cells are currently lighter than batteries, making them an appealing option for long-haulers. It is noteworthy that Saudi Aramco signed in the first week of December an agreement with the French renewable energy technology giant Gaussin to establish a modern manufacturing facility for hydrogen-powered vehicles in Saudi Arabia. Aramco's LAB7 would be working closely with Gaussin's hydrogen-powered vehicle and remote controlled/autonomous hydrogen racing truck developments. Speaking on the occasion, Al-Saadi, said that the agreement represents the start of an exciting collaboration to advance and promote hydrogen as a low carbon transportation fuel. The Dhahran-based state-of-the-art LAB7 facility would have 24/7 dedicated workshops that can accommodate 19 projects and up to 300 innovators at any one time. LAB7 is empowering new generation of innovators -the digital and technical entrepreneurs of the 21st century. Named after the landmark Dammam Well Number 7, the first commercial oil well in Saudi Arabia, LAB7 is a product development initiative that provides a platform for 21st century pioneers to develop groundbreaking ideas from conception to completion, helping them turn their vision into reality.
