MUSCAT: Asyad Group, the integrated end-to-end logistics services provider of the Sultanate of Oman, says the country’s three principal maritime ports at Sohar, Duqm and Salalah are being primed to serve as “green gateways” in Oman’s low-carbon energy future.
Asyad Group, wholly owned by Oman Investment Authority (OIA), represents the government’s stakes in the three ports.
“Asyad Group has set its sights on facilitating Oman’s transformation to become one of the world’s top suppliers of low-emission molecules, including hydrogen,” said the Group in a post on its website on Sunday.
“Capitalizing on its vast experience in logistics and remarkable success in strategic planning, Asyad has outlined its ambitions of repurposing its ports into thriving hydrogen valleys, capable of efficiently distributing low-emission hydrogen and e-fuels to regional and international markets,” it further stated.
In particular, Port of Duqm – with its proximity to the vast solar-rich hinterland of Al Wusta Governorate – has the potential to become Oman’s leading hub for the handling and export of low-emission energy resources, according to Asyad.
The port already boasts a well-equipped liquid terminal that can facilitate the storage and handling of low-carbon fuels. Also boding well for its positioning as a ‘green gateway’ is its close association with the Belgian Port of Antwerp, which is a key entry-point into Europe and an important market for green hydrogen.
Likewise, Port of Sohar, which anchors the country’s biggest industrial and petrochemicals cluster, has already embraced an “advanced decarbonization strategy” to support its energy transition.
“Sohar Port plans to establish projects on carbon capture to lower its emissions, enhancing its storage facilities for various forms of low-emission molecules and increasing bunkering capacities,” said Asyad Group.
Just recently, the port announced a collaboration with its biggest industrial, petrochemical, and power and water generation tenants to set up the SOHAR Net Zero Alliance aimed at accelerating the transition towards carbon neutrality by 2050.
The alliance aims to support investments in alternative energy, green power, green hydrogen, and Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) capacity to meet the decarbonization goals of its members.
Port of Salalah, the country’s oldest maritime hub overlooking the Indian Ocean, is in the “early stages of planning and executing its path towards a net zero future”, according to Asyad Group.
“With Maersk as a shareholder and prominent customer, the port has a unique opportunity to capitalize on Maersk’s focus on e-methanol to supply the 25 lines it currently operates and establish itself as a bunkering hub,” Asyad added in its post.
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