Oman’s 105-MW Amin solar PV plant gets global certificate
Oman’s 105-MW Amin solar PV plant has been registered as the first solar energy project in the country with a global renewable energy certificate.
The global energy renewable certificate allows linking electricity ownership rights from the place of production to the place of consumption by issuing a certificate for each megawatt-hour produced from the power plant. These certificates also enable their reuse towards decarbonisation goals or be traded in the open market. This registration paves the way to benefit from the first batch of energy units, which exceeds 206MWh. The registration of the units produced from the station was completed in coordination with the Department of Climate Affairs of the Civil Aviation Authority and Three Pillars Consulting – the local issuer of the renewable energy certificate in the Sultanate of Oman.
Dr Firas bin Ali al Abduwani, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Amin Renewable Energy, said: “This registration is a gain for all partners and related parties in this strategic project, and obtaining these certificates is the first stage to ensure that the Sultanate of Oman meets the international ambition of clean energy and structuring the adoption of green particles.” Meanwhile, Sami bin Bagi al Lawati, Technical Director of Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), described this achievement as a great example of collaboration between key industry players to ensure industrial decarbonisation in Oman, in line with Oman Vision 2040.
He said that work is continuing in PDO to identify opportunities for decarbonisation with the remarkable progress that has already been made to identify climate, environmental and sustainability challenges, in parallel with achieving sustainable growth. Strategic goals have been set as part of these efforts, where the Amin project contributes, reducing about a quarter of a million carbon emissions annually from the networks.
On the other hand, Najla bint Zuhair al Jamaliyah, CEO of Alternative Energy at OQ, described the event as another successful achievement in this pioneering project, saying it is a clear testament to OQ’s efforts in supporting the Sultanate of Oman’s ambitious plans towards its decarbonisation journey.
The Amin Renewable Energy Plant – the first utility power plant in Oman – is located near the Nimr area (Dhofar Governorate) in the PDO Block 6 concession. Amin Renewable Energy Company (AREC) is a consortium led by Japanese-based international conglomerate Marubeni Corporation (50.1 per cent stake), Oman Gas Company with 30 per cent stake, Bahwan Renewable Company with 10 per cent stake and Nebras Power with 9.9 per cent stake. All the electricity produced and capacity made available by AREC is purchased by Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) under a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) until 2043.
