Muscat: Engineer Salem bin Nasser Al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals, stated that the Sultanate of Oman is making steady progress towards achieving its goal of generating or consuming at least 30 percent of its electrical energy from renewable sources by 2030.
In an interview with the Oman News Agency, the Minister highlighted the efforts being made by the oil and gas sectors to eliminate the practice of routine burning. Furthermore, various industrial regions and cities are actively seeking environmentally-friendly energy alternatives to enhance the competitiveness of local products in global markets.
The Minister emphasized that extensive studies are being conducted on alternative energy sources, their costs, and the necessary changes that factories need to adopt in order to keep up with modern technology and meet carbon neutral requirements.
He further explained that the sectors responsible for approximately 95 percent of carbon emissions include industry, power houses, oil and gas, and transportation, among others.
The Minister also mentioned that while some government institutions have already made significant progress towards achieving the Sultanate of Oman's plan for zero carbon neutrality by 2050, others are still in the process of identifying projects that will effectively reduce carbon emissions.
Notably, several projects have been announced in the power sector, such as the Manah 1 and Manah stations, with preparations underway for the 'Ibri 3' station. Additionally, plans have been unveiled for the construction of five new wind energy stations, namely Dhofar 2 station, Sadah station, Duqm station, Mahout station, and Jaalan Bani Bu Ali station.
