S04 ORME 4 2021 PDO feature_Layout 1 25/06/2021 15:59 Page 12
Oman
Oman presses ahead with Momentum is building for clean energy developments in Oman in line with Vision 2040 objectives, and the country’s oil and gas companies are playing a leading role. Louise Waters reports.
The Amin solar PV project.
MAN HAS BEEN hard hit by the impact of the pandemic and the accompanying fall in the oil price, with its economy estimated to have contracted by 6.2% in 2020, according to the IMF. Developing renewable energy is critical to reducing the reliance on hydrocarbons and diversifying the economy, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). Around 3GW of wind and solar PV projects are at various stages of development throughout the sultanate, with the ambitious target of deriving at least 30% of electricity from renewables by 2030, in line with Oman’s Vision 2040 objectives. They include the 500MW Ibri 11 solar PV plant being developed by a consortium of
O
We look forward to continuing to make further progress in our plans to gradually increase the utilisation of renewable resources in our activities.” 12
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Acwa Power, GIC and Alternative Energy Projects Company, which is set to begin production in H2 2021; the Duqm 300MW wind plant (Wind 2023), Oman’s first utilityscale wind power project, set to commence operations in 2023; two solar IPPs in Manah; 11 solar-diesel hybrid facilities; and the ‘Sahim’ initiative to install small-scale solar panels on residential and commercial buildings, to mention just a few.
Oil and gas companies play a leading role Oman’s oil and gas companies are playing a leading role in driving renewable energy developments, as they transition to a lower carbon future. Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) is aiming at generating 30% of its power capacity from renewables by 2025, commissioning its first solar IPP project, the 100MW Amin project, in March 2020 in furtherance of its ambitious energy transition and sustainability objectives. Located near Nimr approximately 300km northeast of Salalah, the Amin IPP is the first utility-scale PV power plant in Oman, providing power to PDO’s operations as an alternative to natural gas. The generated energy is sufficient to power 15,000 homes, and could result in an annual CO2 emission reduction of more than 225,000 tonnes. State-of-the-art technology
has been utilised in the project including bifacial photovoltaic modules and backtracking facilities to maximise the energy production over time. “This flagship project is another building block in support of PDO’s continued transition to a fully-fledged energy company,” said Raoul Restucci, PDO’s managing director. “We look forward to continuing to make further progress in our plans to gradually increase the utilisation of renewable resources in our activities, and are currently in the process of evaluating a number of exciting opportunities including wind power installations in our southern locations.” PDO is aiming to commission its first wind farm by 2023, and is also studying the feasibility of a green hydrogen pilot in two possible locations; PDO’s solar-panelled car park at its Mina Al Fahal headquarters, with the output used to help power passenger buses, cars and trucks; and the site of the Amin Solar Project, where the green hydrogen is proposed to be injected into the gas pipeline, as well as used as an alternative to diesel in generators. Meanwhile, Oman-owned energy company OQ, whose business is rooted in oil and gas, is developing a portfolio of alternative energy projects encompassing solar and wind projects, as well as industrial scale production of green
Image Credit: PDO
green energy projects
