Haider Al Lawati - haiderdawood@hotmail.com - Participants at the latest conference organised by Nama’a Holding Group over the past five days have laid great emphasis on the future of clean energy and its usage in all disciplines. This requires utilisation of developments in modern technology in such disciplines and the need to increase work efficiency while offering high-quality services for electricity and water users and invest in human resources sector to enable them to adequately operate renewable energy projects.
Such projects can eliminate the impact of climate change in a way that benefits all of the world’s nations. They can also have a major positive outcome for future generations, including pollution reduction, contributing in promoting sustainable energy solutions, eliminating the impact of climate change and positive results achieved for the environment in which man and animals coexist.
Consequently, the world’s dependence on renewable and clean energy products will grow by the year, whereas many countries worldwide, including Oman and other countries in the region, have already begun to take positive steps towards utilising clean and renewable energy products to enhance their infrastructure.
Studies conducted in the field highlight the importance of emphasis on these types of energy as a promising area that is increasingly able to provide clean energy sources, and a major potential in renewing the natural resources these countries encompass, not to mention providing more employment opportunities for youth in various disciplines and contributing in economic diversity.
With the growing energy use by communities comes the need to take constructive steps to benefit from the hidden gems of renewable energy and utilise the geographic location and diverse topography in establishing more clean energy projects such as solar and wind energy, that can expand nations’ infrastructures. This is besides renewing the existing natural resources, which provide bigger opportunities for future generations to invest their capabilities in depending on this kind of energy and develop projects.
Most of these topics were discussed at the latest conference held by Nama’a Holding Group, especially those related to the cost of using electricity, along with some questions raised on government’s plans to continue subsidising such projects and sectors in light of declining oil prices since mid-2014.
There are many vital sectors subsidised by the government on an annual basis, where large sums of money are allocated for major sectors that provide life’s necessities for its citizens. In the current year’s budget, allocated subsidies amount to RO 395 million, including electricity, cooking gas and other sectors.
Studies conducted in Oman by the Research Council and government and private agencies confirm that the rate of solar energy density in the Sultanate, for instance, is one of the highest in the world.
Therefore, the government, in collaboration with a group of authorities, companies and consultancies, is seeking to use this advantage as a source of renewable energy, which will also help in the cost of electricity usage, whether for individuals, industrial and commercial institutions or other agencies.
With the country’s growing demographic and continuous demand on renewable energy, it has become imperative to allocate sufficient financial resources for the establishment of feasible projects in the field of clean energy, especially that Oman’s current population has exceeded 4.6 million with 45 per cent expatriates who are mostly concentrated in Muscat alongside the governorates.
Increased energy consumption means greater opportunity for future generations to invest their capabilities in the maximum utilisation of the recently tapped renewable energy and develop projects through which more jobs can be created for the Omani youth across the various governorates of Oman.
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