Muscat: The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology launched a special programme for cutting down carbon emissions.
The programme comprises a number of projects and initiatives to be applied in various sectors, including the transport sector or the communications and information technology sector, which account for nearly 20% of the total carbon emissions in Oman.
The ministry divided its carbon neutrality plan into three phases: Cutting down 3% of carbon emissions by 2030; 34% of carbon emissions by 2040; and 100% carbon emissions by 2050.
In the first phase of its plan, the ministry seeks to reach 7,000 electric cars—which account for 35% of the new light vehicles—and cut down 40% of carbon emissions from heavy equipment by using dual combustion technology. The technology was fully developed in Oman.
The ministry also plans to use biofuel in public transport vehicles and transform some port equipment into environment-friendly devices that use electricity.
In the second phase, the ministry targets reaching 22,000 new electric cars by 2040, which comprise 65% of the new vehicles in Oman.
The ministry is also working on a plan to limit the operating age of public transport vehicles in a manner that boosts the reduction of carbon emissions.
This is in addition to establishing a regional centre for refueling ships with green fuel. The step will constitute a major development in the region.
The second phase also envisages upgrading bus stations and buildings, namely by installing solar panels that contribute to the reduction of emissions.
In the third phase, the ministry plans to fully use hydrogen technologies or electricity technologies for trucks and heavy equipment as a measure to cut down carbon emissions by 100%, and thereby meet full carbon neutrality for Oman by the year 2050.
The ministry has engaged heavily with private sector partners to strengthen the infrastructure in Oman and prepare it for the electric cars on most roads. Towards this end, the ministry set a short-term plan to install more than 140 electric vehicle chargers by the end of 2023, and more than 350 chargers by 2026.
The ministry made it a condition that an electric vehicle charger on public roads should have a minimum power capacity of 120 kilowatthour (kWh).
Fast chargers have already been installed at border posts, with a capacity of 120 kWh, according to the ministry.
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