OTTCO has been named Oman’s National Champion for green ammonia storage, advancing infrastructure for the nation’s green hydrogen sector.
Oman Tank Terminal Company (OTTCO), a subsidiary of the Omani state-owned energy conglomerate OQ, has been officially recognized as a ‘National Champion’ for centralized green ammonia storage. The designation, announced by Hydrom—the government-backed master planner for Oman’s green hydrogen sector—positions OTTCO as a key player within the emerging infrastructure ecosystem supporting the country’s large-scale green hydrogen and ammonia industry.
This status was confirmed during a recent interview with The Energy Oman, in which Eng. Abdulaziz al Shidhani, Managing Director of Hydrom, outlined the strategic approach to developing Oman’s hydrogen economy. Al Shidhani emphasized Hydrom’s multifaceted role in shaping policy, managing auctions, regulating contracts, and serving as custodian of the nation’s Green Hydrogen Strategy. Hydrom also leads master planning for land allocation and sector development while working closely with designated National Champions to deliver Common User Infrastructure (CUI)—critical, shared systems that benefit all developers across the hydrogen value chain.
Under this national initiative, several state-run or affiliated entities have been entrusted with specific infrastructure domains. OQ Alternative Energy oversees green hydrogen investments; Nama Water Services manages water and utilities; OQ Gas Networks handles gas transportation; and Oman Electricity Transmission Company is responsible for electrical grid connectivity. Most recently, OTTCO has been added to this roster to take charge of centralized storage solutions for green ammonia.
This move underscores the strategic importance of green ammonia as a key enabler of the global energy transition. As a derivative of renewable hydrogen and nitrogen, green ammonia (NH3) serves as an efficient, safer-to-transport medium for hydrogen and can be used directly as a carbon-free fuel in various industries, including maritime shipping, power generation, and possibly heavy industrial heating. The global maritime industry, in particular, is exploring green ammonia as a zero-carbon marine fuel, while the fertilizer sector sees it as a clean alternative to current high-emission methods.
OTTCO’s inclusion as a National Champion marks a significant expansion from its traditional oil and fossil fuel logistics business into the clean energy sector. The company’s major facility at Ras Markaz currently provides 17.5 million barrels of storage capacity across 40 square kilometers, with plans to scale up to a massive 200 million barrels. This site also functions as a key crude oil logistics center feeding the nearby Duqm Refinery, located about 80 kilometers away.
According to OTTCO CEO Eng. Salem bin Marhoon al Hashmi, the company has entered a strategic partnership with Dutch liquid storage specialist Vopak. This collaboration aims to transform Duqm into a global energy storage and logistics hub, not only for conventional fuels but also for green molecules like green ammonia. Preliminary studies have already been completed to design advanced infrastructure for ammonia storage, handling, and export.
In addition, OTTCO is actively pursuing smart, shared storage systems and international partnerships to facilitate technology transfer and accelerate project timelines. A recent site visit by Mohsin bin Hamad al Hadhrami, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, along with OQ Group CEO Ashraf bin Hamad al Mamari, highlighted OTTCO’s strategic developments at Ras Markaz and Duqm.
