Hydrogen: Small but mighty in the Middle East and Africa
Yasin Kasirga
June 02, 2025
3 min read
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The energy industry is undergoing a transformative shift, driven by the urgent need for decarbonization. In this scenario, hydrogen emerges as a key carbon-free energy source, central to supporting various industrial applications in the journey toward a sustainable, electrified, and decarbonized world.
I’ve been in the energy industry for 20 years and have worked on the development, and sales for more than 11 GW of power projects using most types of power generation, from gas to geothermal and from solar/storage to wind and hydro and in many different geographies. I have had the privilege of witnessing how energy changes the lives of people, and how it can fuel the economic growth and prosperity of communities.
In my current role of leading Gas Power Carbon Solutions for GE Vernova, I cover the Middle East and Africa (MEA)—where hydrogen, carbon capture and direct air capture among other technologies are playing one of the major roles as a tool to help us achieve a more decarbonized world.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world needs to reduce CO2 emissions by 43% by 2030, with respect to 2019 levels, to keep average global temperature increase within 1.5 °C limits. GE Vernova is motivated to continued innovation to help contribute to the regional and global climate goals.
And this is where hydrogen comes into play as a potential source of energy in the Middle East and Africa.
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe: A tiny molecule, not dense, but with the right quantity it can be powerful. It’s an amazing energy vector, a fuel that enables power generation without carbon emissions to support various industrial applications, including steel mills, refineries, petrochemical plants, and data centers.
Throughout MEA, there are a lot of investments helping prepare the economy for a hydrogen society. Countries like the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and Egypt announced remarkable targets for the production of hydrogen and its derivatives.
During COP27, we successfully and safely implemented a project that marked the first time GE Vernova’s LM6000 gas turbine was run on hydrogen-blended fuel on the African continent.
More to come… Looking forward to a world that’s both electrified and decarbonized at the same time!
Yasin Kasirga
Middle East and Africa Decarbonization Leader
Yasin is a pivotal leader in the Carbon Solutions business of GE Vernova for the Middle East and Africa. He is instrumental in guiding strategies and driving initiatives that support customers in navigating the current energy landscape by focusing on establishing decarbonization pathways and strategies, assessing the monetization potential of low-carbon and no-carbon fuels, and structuring innovative solutions using existing and emerging technologies. His expertise aims to achieve tangible results in reducing and mitigating carbon emissions effectively and swiftly.
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