Oman takes a giant leap in reducing carbon emissions

Oman takes a giant leap in reducing carbon emissions

MUSCAT: In a significant stride towards fulfilling Oman’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions and its ambitious target of achieving net zero by 2050, the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) system for desalination was inaugurated in Sur on Monday.

Eng. Salim bin Nasser Al Aufi, the Minister of Energy and Minerals, presided over the unveiling of the 17-megawatt peak (MWp) solar photovoltaic farm, generating clean energy to power the Sharqiyah Desalination Plant in Sur.

This pioneering project will boast an annual capacity of over 32,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of green electricity, fully covering the desalination plant’s energy requirements during daylight hours.

Developed by Veolia in collaboration with TotalEnergies, the plant is poised to curtail around 27,200 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, a reduction equivalent to the emissions generated by roughly 6,000 internal combustion engine-powered vehicles over the same period.

The journey of this solar plant commenced with construction in August 2022, followed by rigorous testing from March 30 to April 15, 2023. The plant’s commercial operation was successfully achieved on April 16, 2023, with a lease agreement in place for the solar farm operation until March 31, 2036.

During the inauguration ceremony, Al Aufi said, “I am glad to witness the official inauguration of this crucial solar photovoltaic