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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Investments in waste-to-energy, biogas schemes to top $500m

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MUSCAT, OCT 20 - A string of waste-to-energy and biogas schemes planned for implementation in the coming years is expected to attract initial investments to the tune of around $500 million, according to a new report on the Energy Lab — a high-level forum that deliberated on a wide array of initiatives to ease Oman’s dependence on natural gas a primary fuel resource for power generation. In addition to harnessing municipal and bio-waste as potential resources for electricity generation, various stakeholder institutions represented at the Lab also emphasised the benefits of moving ahead with waste-to-energy and biogas initiatives to help reduce the prodigious volumes of recyclable and calorific trash ending up in landfills in the Sultanate.


Landfilling, while a modern solution to the problem of waste generation, is not a sustainable solution in itself, stresses Oman Environmental Services Holding Company (be’ah), the Sultanate’s solid waste management flagship. In Muscat and South Al Batinah governorates, where much of the nation’s municipal waste is generated, landfills grow by 30,000 sq metres per year, it is pointed out. “In addition, these sites require additional costs for operation and maintenance on a regular basis that can reach about RO 13 million annually, not to mention the negative environmental and health impacts associated with the increase of these landfills and their impact on nearby communities.


With the expected increase in waste generation to 3.67 million tonnes by 2040 as a result of the increase in population and projected economic growth, there is a viable opportunity to maximise value creation from municipal waste and bio-waste,” the report on the Energy Lab stated. Plans drawn up by be’ah envisage a portfolio of projects with the potential to generate 1.29 terawatt-hours of electricity per annum based on municipal and bio-waste. These projections are based on a feasibility study commissioned by the state-owned holding company during 2015-16. The Energy Lab also discussed plans by the Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP), the sole procurer of new power and water capacity under the sector law, to commission a technical and economic feasibility study for the municipal waste project in 2018.


Barka is tipped to host the first waste-to-energy scheme utilising municipal waste as feedstock supplied by be’ah. Separately, be’ah is also weighing the feasibility of setting up biogas plants in various governorates based on the use of bio-waste. Significantly, around 250 jobs are expected to be created from these initiatives, according to the report.


Conrad Prabhu


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