The operation validated the technical capabilities of hydrogen fuel cell technology

A major hydrogen mobility breakthrough has been achieved in the Saudi Arabian mountains, as a successful trial in NEOM’s Trojena region demonstrated the viability of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) in high-altitude terrain.

The test involved the UNIVERSE Fuel Cell bus navigating elevations of up to 2,080 metres and gradients of 24%, a first for hydrogen-powered vehicles in such conditions.

Conducted in partnership with Enowa, NEOM’s energy and water subsidiary, the trial showcased the performance of the hydrogen-powered coach bus over a simulated route connecting NEOM’s future core business district to the Trojena mountain destination.

The operation validated both the technical capabilities of hydrogen fuel cell technology and its practical application in mountainous environments.

The achievement builds on a memorandum of understanding signed in September 2024 between NEOM’s Mobility sector and the automotive group behind the UNIVERSE bus.

The agreement aims to accelerate the introduction of next-generation, zero-emission mobility solutions across NEOM’s futuristic urban and regional developments.

Key features

A key enabler of the trial was Enowa’s installation of the region’s first hydrogen refuelling station, which supports a broad range of hydrogen vehicles.

This infrastructure allowed for the safe and effective use of the UNIVERSE bus during VIP transport services in NEOM between October and December 2024.

A video released alongside the announcement captures the bus navigating Trojena’s rugged landscape, with commentary from project partners highlighting the challenges and successes of testing hydrogen mobility in real-world, high-altitude settings. The footage reinforces the collective ambition to position NEOM as a global testbed for sustainable innovation.

The trial represents more than a technological milestone, as it is a tangible step towards realising the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030.

By pushing the boundaries of clean energy use in transport, the project contributes to the Kingdom’s broader goals of economic diversification, environmental stewardship, and leadership in emerging green technologies.

The automotive group behind the trial brings decades of hydrogen expertise, dating back to technology development efforts in the late 1990s.

Through its hydrogen-focused brand and platform, HTWO, the company is advancing hydrogen mobility globally by integrating production, storage, and application solutions.

HTWO also serves as a platform for partnerships and investment, strengthening efforts to scale the hydrogen economy.

Also read: AVEVA and Protium aim to accelerate green hydrogen innovation

This marks AMEA Power’s first desalination project in North Africa. (Image source: AMEA Power)

A major water and energy infrastructure project is advancing in Morocco, as the second phase of the Agadir desalination plant moves forward with the support of AMEA Power.

The facility, set to become one of the largest of its kind in Africa, will be powered by a 150 MW wind farm in Laayoune, developed by the renewable energy company.

Once complete, the expanded plant will reach a daily capacity of 400,000 m³, significantly increasing clean water supply for the region.

The first phase of the plant was developed and is currently owned by Spanish company Cox, known for its global expertise in water and energy management.

In the second phase, AMEA Power is entering the project as a joint venture partner, supplying renewable energy and helping to scale up the plant’s operations.

This marks AMEA Power’s first desalination project in North Africa and represents the inaugural development under its new strategic partnership with Cox, which was formalised in May 2025.

The joint venture is designed to promote integrated infrastructure solutions that combine clean energy and water supply, addressing two of the most pressing sustainability challenges in the region.

The investment required for the expansion and associated wind energy development is expected to exceed €250 million.

Sustainability component

Construction of the desalination facility is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026, while the wind farm is set to come online in 2027.

The move underscores AMEA Power’s long-term commitment to Morocco, one of the company’s core markets.

Several renewable energy projects are already underway across the country, positioning the company as a key player in helping Morocco meet its ambitious targets for renewable energy generation, water security, and sustainable development.

By pairing desalination with renewable energy, the project also demonstrates how large-scale infrastructure in North Africa can decouple water supply from fossil fuels.

It reflects a growing trend across the region to power essential utilities with clean sources, reducing carbon footprints while improving resilience against climate stressors.

With water scarcity an increasing concern across North Africa, the Agadir project is expected to serve as a model for similar developments elsewhere, where the integration of clean energy with water infrastructure becomes essential for future-proofing vital resources.

Hussain Al Nowais, chairman of AMEA Power, said, "Our entry into the second phase of the Agadir desalination project in Morocco, under the Water Alliance Ventures platform, reflects AMEA Power’s ambition to address both water and energy challenges through integrated solutions. This project is not only our first entry into the water sector in North Africa – it is also a powerful example of what long-term partnerships can achieve for sustainable development across the region”.  

Amsterdam and Copenhagen are developing PEDs. (Image source: Exergio)

Cities are responsible for approximately 75% of global energy consumption and 80% of CO₂ emissions, according to a July 2025 review in Sustainable Futures Journal. To effectively cut energy waste, researchers emphasise the need to shift focus from individual buildings to managing energy at the district level.

Some cities are already embracing this approach. Amsterdam and Copenhagen are at the forefront, developing Positive Energy Districts (PEDs), urban zones designed to produce more energy than they consume. These districts typically combine residential buildings, retail spaces, transport systems, and offices into compact, mixed-use environments. Their design not only maximises energy efficiency but also enables the seamless integration of decentralised energy sources and smart infrastructure.

“We’re sure that more and more mixed-use neighborhoods will appear – but they can’t be treated the same as individual buildings. The complexity creates new challenges,” said Donatas Karčiauskas, CEO of Exergio, a company that develops AI-based platforms for energy optimization in commercial buildings. “We need a uniform set of rules on how energy is managed if we seek global change.”

The International Energy Agency (IEA) also reinforces the importance of this district-wide approach. Its Energy Efficiency Policy Toolkit 2025, released in June, stresses that national policies must support urban innovation by aligning regulations, building codes, and data-sharing frameworks. Without this foundational support, localised energy systems may remain fragmented, reducing their overall impact.

Better HVAC systems

In practice, many of these innovations are being trialled in what are known as “urban living labs”, experimental spaces where cities test new energy systems and management strategies. These labs now include advanced features such as building-integrated photovoltaics, solar-powered cooling, real-time monitoring at the district scale, and predictive heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

“When national and municipal strategies align, cities can move faster from policy to implementation. Even in technically advanced districts, we still see energy being used at the wrong time or in the wrong place,” said Karčiauskas. “Digital control plays a bigger role than being just an efficiency tool. At the core, it’s how buildings exchange data and respond to each other. In mixed-use areas, that back-and-forth is what separates smart systems from wasteful ones.”

However, not all projects deliver consistent results. Studies show that the way systems interact across buildings can significantly impact performance. According to energy researchers like Vilius Karčiauskas, the choice of technology may be less important than how energy use is coordinated across the entire district. Adaptive control, where systems automatically adjust energy consumption in response to real-time conditions, is emerging as a key solution.

With the advancement of artificial intelligence, energy optimisation platforms that connect different buildings and infrastructure are becoming increasingly viable. These platforms can collect and analyse large datasets, enabling systems to communicate and adapt to varying demands across a district. This makes them well-suited to support PEDs and other neighbourhood-level sustainability efforts.

As cities continue to grow and face mounting environmental pressures, shifting towards integrated, AI-enabled district energy systems could be a crucial step in reducing emissions and improving efficiency on a meaningful scale.

Protium designs, develops, finances, owns, and operates green hydrogen systems. (Image source: AVEVA)

AVEVA, a global industrial software leader, has been chosen by Protium – the UK’s largest green hydrogen developer – to power its digital industrial intelligence platform aimed at accelerating the development of low-carbon energy solutions.

Through its use of AVEVA technology, Protium has already reduced time spent on process simulation by 30%, boosted reliability by 15%, and identified ways to cut maintenance costs by a further 15%.

The company aims to cut 256,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually, with AVEVA’s software expected to deliver an additional 5–10% savings through optimised process design and utility use.

Protium designs, develops, finances, owns, and operates green hydrogen systems across multiple sectors, helping clients reach net zero goals.

Enabling green industries

The AVEVA-powered platform will use a digital twin to capture, contextualise, and analyse asset performance and operational data. This will allow Protium to identify faults, enhance visibility across operations, and make real-time decisions that improve reliability, minimise downtime, and verify certified electricity origin.

“Our collaboration with Protium brilliantly illustrates AVEVA’s commitment to enabling industrial sustainability,” said Caspar Herzberg, CEO, AVEVA.

“Leading the transition to net zero through emerging technologies requires flexible digital infrastructure. The data platform we’ve developed for Protium is tailored to manage a resilient and agile digital infrastructure in a cost-effective manner, leveraging the full potential of Protium’s industrial intelligence.”

“Green hydrogen is a key stepping stone in the UK’s ambition to cut CO₂ emissions by 1 million tonnes a year by 2030. Achieving this goal cost-effectively and reliably will depend on building the right infrastructure and operating it efficiently. By working closely with AVEVA, we’ve developed the right set of digital tools to enable Protium to deliver green hydrogen at scale – critical at this point when we are about to open a second hydrogen production plant and growing our project portfolio,” said Jon Constable, COO, Protium.

Also read: AVEVA unveils product impact metrics in latest sustainability report