Landmark venture: The local Omani engineering consultancy’s remit covers all aspects of the mammoth project which, upon completion, will be one of the largest Green Hydrogen projects in the world.
MUSCAT: Well-known Omani environmental and engineering consultancy services firm, HMR, has been appointed Environmental Advisor for the world-scale Green Energy Oman (GEO) project planned for implementation in the Sultanate of Oman.
Ranked among the largest green energy ventures currently on the anvil for development globally, the GEO scheme is backed by an international consortium comprising OQ, the Sultanate of Oman’s global integrated energy company, InterContinental Energy, the leading dedicated green fuels developer and EnerTech, a Kuwait government‐backed clean energy investor and developer.
Muscat-headquartered HMR’s selection as environmental consultants for the prestigious giga-scale green hydrogen venture is a testament to the company’s track record of excellence and experience in delivering environmental advisory services to clients across a range of industries, locally and internationally.
Over the roughly three decades of its operations in the Sultanate of Oman, and in the wider region, HMR has undertaken environmental impact assessment studies for a wide and diverse array of industrial, economic, Oil & Gas, renewable, tourism and infrastructure landmarks distributed across the country and globally.
Commenting on the award, Dr Hussam al Rawahy, Managing Director and Founder of HMR Consultants, said: “HMR are delighted to be involved in this prestigious mega project that is planned to produce carbon‐free fuels and contribute to the global climate change agenda. It places Oman on the map as a leader in the drive to decarbonise hard to abate sectors, and we are excited to be an integral part of the GEO team.”
Nashwa al Rawahy, Director at HMR, added: “We have a qualified team with a robust approach to drive environmental and social compliance for this important stage of the project. Our work will support GEO progress development plans and set the framework for continued environmental and social management throughout the project lifecycle.”
As environmental advisors for the GEO Project, HMR is tasked with delivering the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and other related technical studies over a 14-month timeframe. The ESIA will identify, predict, and evaluate environmental and social impacts; seeking to enhance positive and mitigate adverse impacts, while managing residual impacts to as low as reasonably practicable levels.
“The GEO conceptual design is under way and conducting the ESIA in parallel ensures that significant environmental and social aspects are systematically addressed and incorporated immediately in the decision‐making process'', said Nashwa.
HMR’s remit as Environmental Advisor encompasses all GEO project elements, which includes 25 gigawatts (GW) of renewable solar and wind energy to produce over 1.8 million tonnes of zero-carbon green hydrogen per annum. When fully completed across multiple phases, the project’s geographical footprint will cover a staggering 6,500 sq kilometres across vast swathes of Al Wusta and Dhofar governorates.
According to Nashwa, the ESIA will be comprehensive and cover all project components including Upstream (wind and solar), Midstream (electrolyser systems, power, hydrogen and water conduits), Downstream (ammonia production), desalination plants and marine export facilities. Specialised technical studies within HMR’s scope include coastal outfall discharge and recirculation assessment, flood risk assessment, emissions modelling, noise assessment and landscape and visual flicker assessment. These technical studies will be integrated into the overall impact assessment.
Selecting HMR as the local environmental consultants signals GEO’s commitment to in-country value creation, and critical to start building local capacity early in the development cycle, commented HMR. This curve will be accelerated as the project progresses from design to construction and operations, and the potential for engagement with qualified Omani companies will create further opportunities throughout the value chain, scaling the green hydrogen economy at the local level.
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