Dubai: Nasser bin Mohammed al Ruzaiqi, geologist at the Directorate-General of Renewable Energy and Green Hydrogen at the Ministry of Energy and Minerals and member of the Sultanate of Oman’s pavilion at COP28, stressed the importance of minerals in running clean energy technologies.
He noted that the Sultanate of Oman, with diverse resources abound in strategic locations, stands out as a supplier of basic elements that support the transition to renewable energy sources. The Sultanate of Oman’s pavilion at COP28 highlighted the role of these vital minerals in promoting the international energy agenda in line with the global trend towards transitioning to clean energy and preparing strategies for a sustainable energy future.
Al Ruzaiqi said: “Copper has become the basis of clean energy and is considered an important element due to its exceptional electrical capacity. It is the basic element in the clean energy sector. The Sultanate of Oman’s sediments play a vital role in electrical grids, renewable energy systems, electric vehicles and infrastructure that support the use of renewable energy sources making the Sultanate of Oman’s copper sediments vital to the development of sustainable energy infrastructure."
Al Ruzaiqi touched on silicon and its wide uses, pointing out that silicon is a main element in clean energy technologies especially in photovoltaic solar cells and energy storage solutions. Silicon is used in solar panels, energy storage systems, LED lighting and electrical conductor devices.
Platinum metals are another source for stimulating clean solutions. Platinum group of metals, including platinum and palladium, play a vital role in catalytic converters which reduce emissions from internal combustion engines. The Sultanate of Oman has great potential in these minerals and this contributes to the global efforts to reduce emissions, enhance means of transportation and produce cleaner energy, Al Ruzaiqi said.
Commenting on the role of the Sultanate of Oman in the global energy transition, Al Ruzaiqi stressed that the country’s wealth of precious minerals strategically located in its geological formations shows its potential to become an important contributor to the global transition towards clean energy. He affirmed the country’s active approach to rationally exploit these resources.
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