NEOM Completes Deals Worth $8.4 Bln on World's Largest Carbon-Free Hydrogen Plant

NEOM Green Hydrogen Company (NGHC) announced that it has now completed financial deals on the world's largest green hydrogen production facility, with a total investment value of USD 8.4 billion. (SPA)
NEOM Green Hydrogen Company (NGHC) announced that it has now completed financial deals on the world's largest green hydrogen production facility, with a total investment value of USD 8.4 billion. (SPA)
TT

NEOM Completes Deals Worth $8.4 Bln on World's Largest Carbon-Free Hydrogen Plant

NEOM Green Hydrogen Company (NGHC) announced that it has now completed financial deals on the world's largest green hydrogen production facility, with a total investment value of USD 8.4 billion. (SPA)
NEOM Green Hydrogen Company (NGHC) announced that it has now completed financial deals on the world's largest green hydrogen production facility, with a total investment value of USD 8.4 billion. (SPA)

NEOM Green Hydrogen Company (NGHC) announced on Monday that following signing financial documents with 23 local, regional, and international banks and investment firms, it has now completed financial deals on the world's largest green hydrogen production facility, with a total investment value of USD 8.4 billion.

The plant is currently being built at Oxagon, in Saudi Arabia's NEOM region. NGHC has concluded the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) agreement with Air Products as the nominated contractor and system integrator for the entire facility.

Additionally, NGHC announced that the non-recourse financing structured for the project has been certified by S&P Global (as the second-party opinion provider) as adhering to green loan principles and is one of the largest project financings put in place under the green loan framework. Air Products has already awarded major contracts to various technology and construction partners.

NGHC also secured an exclusive 30-year off-take agreement with Air Products for all the green ammonia produced at the facility, which will unlock the economic potential of renewable energy across the entire value chain.

An equal joint venture between ACWA Power, Air Products, and NEOM, NGHC's mega-plant will integrate up to 4GW of solar and wind energy to produce up to 600 tons per day of carbon-free hydrogen by the end of 2026, in the form of green-ammonia as a cost-effective solution for the global transportation and industrial sectors.

NEOM Chief Executive Officer and NGHC Chairman Nadhmi Al-Nasr said: "This substantial financial backing from the investment community shows the unmatched potential of NGHC's green hydrogen project. With the financial close announced today, we are taking a massive leap towards opening the plant, in line with NEOM's vision to accelerate renewable solutions."

"At scale, this project is the first-of-its-kind internationally, leading the world in the hydrogen revolution. Harnessing the energy of NEOM's abundant natural resources, NGHC's project will pave the way for the large-scale adoption of green hydrogen while driving Saudi Vision 2030's sustainable development goals," he added.

Chief Executive Officer of NGHC, David R. Edmondson said: "I'm excited to announce that NGHC, together with our three partners ACWA Power, Air Products, and NEOM, has achieved another significant milestone in our project by achieving financial close on the world's largest green hydrogen plant with 23 banks and investment firms."

"This is a historic moment as we drive large-scale adoption of green hydrogen as the clean solution to the world's growing energy demands. This has enabled us to also conclude the EPC agreements with Air Products for a value of USD 6.7 billion," he stressed.

"Today, we are already well underway building the world's largest facility to produce green hydrogen at scale, with production scheduled to begin by the end of 2026," he said.

"We are grateful for the significant support and commitment of our shareholders and the investment community to achieve project financing at this scale and look forward to leading the charge on the global transition to a carbon-free future," he added.

Air Products Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Seifi Ghasemi added: "Air Products is proud to be shaping the future of energy with first-mover projects like this one, providing clean hydrogen to the world in a sustainable way."

"Air Products is the exclusive off-taker and will absorb the full production volume of the green hydrogen produced in the form of green ammonia at the NGHC facility to serve global mobility and industrial markets. Producing and exporting green ammonia supports the decarbonization of these heavy-duty transportation and industrial sectors and will save the world about 5 million tons of carbon dioxide per year."

"As the primary EPC contractor and system integrator for the facility, we are proud of the significant progress made with engineering and have awarded all major subcontracts for the project. Land preparation is also complete, construction is well underway, and the joint-venture team is in place and actively executing to bring green energy to the world by the end of 2026," he stated.

ACWA Power Chairman Mohammad Abunayyan, added: "As an energy transition leader and Saudi national champion, ACWA Power is proud to support and facilitate the successful financial close of this iconic green hydrogen project, marking our continued commitment alongside our partners to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030."

"We have a proven track record of leveraging innovative solutions and advanced technology to deliver clean, sustainable power at the lowest cost. With the combined experience of our global utility scale renewable projects and innovative partners, we are making rapid strides towards the development of NGHC's giga-scale plant, integrating up to 4GW of renewable power from solar and wind energy to supply green hydrogen to global markets at scale," he remarked.

"This is a significant step forward in our shared purpose to accelerate the shift to clean energy and support the Kingdom's decarbonization goal," he said.

NGHC's financial agreements were concluded through a diverse mix of local, regional, and international banks and financial institutions, along-with a Euler Hermes tranche with no fewer than 23 institutions investing in the project in Oxagon.

In January, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources awarded its first industrial operating license to NGHC, paving the way for the Kingdom to become the world's leading hydrogen producer, while maintaining its position as a key player in the energy sector.



IMF Board to Review Staff-level $8.1 Bln Agreement for Ukraine

The city's downtown on a frosty winter day, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 19, 2026. REUTERS/Alina Smutko
The city's downtown on a frosty winter day, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 19, 2026. REUTERS/Alina Smutko
TT

IMF Board to Review Staff-level $8.1 Bln Agreement for Ukraine

The city's downtown on a frosty winter day, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 19, 2026. REUTERS/Alina Smutko
The city's downtown on a frosty winter day, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 19, 2026. REUTERS/Alina Smutko

The International Monetary Fund on Thursday said its board ​would review a staff-level agreement for a new $8.1 billion lending program for Ukraine in coming days.

IMF spokeswoman Jule Kozack told reporters that Ukrainian authorities had completed the prior actions needed to move forward with the request ⁠of a new ⁠IMF program, including submission of a draft law on the labor code and adoption of a budget.

She said Ukraine's economic growth in 2025 ⁠was likely under 2%. After four years of war, the country's economy had settled into a slower growth path with larger fiscal and current account balances, she said, noting that the IMF continues to monitor the situation closely.

"Russia's invasion continues to take a ⁠heavy ⁠toll on Ukraine's people and its economy," Kozack said. Intensified aerial attacks by Russia had damaged critical energy and logistics infrastructure, causing disruptions to economic activity, Reuters quoted her as saying.

As of January, she said, 5 million Ukrainian refugees remained in Europe and 3.7 million Ukrainians were displaced inside the country.


US Stocks Fall as Iran Angst Lifts Oil Prices

A screen displays a stock chart at a work station on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, US, April 6, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
A screen displays a stock chart at a work station on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, US, April 6, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
TT

US Stocks Fall as Iran Angst Lifts Oil Prices

A screen displays a stock chart at a work station on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, US, April 6, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
A screen displays a stock chart at a work station on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, US, April 6, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Wall Street stocks retreated early Thursday as worries over US-Iran tensions lifted oil prices while markets digested mixed results from Walmart.

US oil futures rose to a six-month high as Iran's atomic energy chief Mohammad Eslami said no country can deprive the Islamic republic of its right to nuclear enrichment, after US President Donald Trump again hinted at military action following talks in Geneva.

"We'd call this an undercurrent of concern that is bubbling up in oil prices," Briefing.com analyst Patrick O'Hare said of the "geopolitical angst."

About 10 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.6 percent at 49,379.46, AFP reported.

The broad-based S&P 500 fell 0.5 percent to 6,849.35, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index declined 0.6 percent to 22,621.38.

Among individual companies, Walmart rose 1.7 percent after reporting solid results but offering forecasts that missed analyst expectations.

Shares of the retail giant initially fell, but pushed higher after Walmart executives talked up artificial intelligence investments on a conference call with analysts.

The US trade deficit in goods expanded to a new record in 2025, government data showed, despite sweeping tariffs that Trump imposed during his first year back in the White House.


Gold Advances on US–Iran Tensions as Markets Weigh Fed Policy Path

UK gold bars and gold Sovereign coins are displayed at Baird & Co in Hatton Garden in London, Britain, October 8, 2025. REUTERS/Hiba Kola/File Photo
UK gold bars and gold Sovereign coins are displayed at Baird & Co in Hatton Garden in London, Britain, October 8, 2025. REUTERS/Hiba Kola/File Photo
TT

Gold Advances on US–Iran Tensions as Markets Weigh Fed Policy Path

UK gold bars and gold Sovereign coins are displayed at Baird & Co in Hatton Garden in London, Britain, October 8, 2025. REUTERS/Hiba Kola/File Photo
UK gold bars and gold Sovereign coins are displayed at Baird & Co in Hatton Garden in London, Britain, October 8, 2025. REUTERS/Hiba Kola/File Photo

Gold prices extended gains on Thursday after rising more than 2% in the previous session, as lingering tensions between the United States and Iran prompted a flight to safety, while investors evaluated the Federal Reserve's monetary policy path.

Spot gold rose 0.2% to $4,989.09 per ounce by 1227 GMT. US gold futures for April delivery held steady at $5,008.60.

"Geopolitical concerns are front and centre with reports that, if the US were to take military action against Iran, it could go on for several weeks," said Jamie Dutta, market analyst at Nemo.money, Reuters reported.

Some progress was made during Iran talks this week in Geneva but distance remained on some issues, the White House said on Wednesday.

FED LARGELY UNITED

Top US national security advisers met in the White House Situation Room on Wednesday to discuss Iran and were told all US military forces deployed to the region should be in place by mid-March.

Meanwhile, the Fed's January minutes showed it largely united on holding interest rates steady, but divided over what comes next, with "several" open to rate hikes if inflation remains elevated, while others were inclined to support further cuts if inflation recedes.

The weekly jobless claims data, due later in the day, and Friday's Personal Consumption Expenditures report, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, will provide further clues on the central bank's policy trajectory.

Markets currently expect this year's first interest rate cut to be in June, according to CME's FedWatch Tool.

Non-yielding bullion tends to do well in low-interest-rate environments.

Spot silver rose 0.9% to $77.87 per ounce after climbing more than 5% on Wednesday.

Silver is "supported by tight supply and low COMEX stock levels ahead of the delivery period of the March contract. However, given the extent of the historic correction earlier this month, silver is not back on safer ground until it trades back above $86," said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank.

Spot platinum fell 0.6% to $2,059.55 per ounce, while palladium lost 1.7% to $1,686.47.