Sprawling solar modules to reduce carbon footprint of Duqm Refinery in Oman

Sprawling solar modules to reduce carbon footprint of Duqm Refinery in Oman

In the lead-up to its commercial launch, tentatively scheduled around the turn of the year, new details have emerged that underscore the world-class stature of Oman’s Duqm Refinery – one of the largest greenfield oil refineries in the Middle East. Notable among the standout features of the multi-billion dollar project of Duqm Refinery and Petrochemical Industries Company (OQ8) - a 50:50 partnership of OQ Group and Kuwait Petroleum International – is a vast array of solar modules designed to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the massive undertaking. According to Petrofac, a leading international integrated service provider for the oilfield and hydrocarbon processing industry, solar panel modules currently occupy a total of 47,000 sq metres of surface area at the complex, with a capacity to produce nearly 8 million Kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually. “To reduce the site’s carbon footprint, solar panels have been placed on various buildings, including the warehouse, main administration building and mosque, powering utilities such as building and street lights, automatic gates and cameras,” the contractor noted in its newsletter ‘Petrofacts’. A joint venture of Petrofac and South Korea’s Samsung Engineering has been executing the EPC – 2 package of the Duqm refinery project, covering the