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Oman issues regulations for EV charging units

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Muscat: The Authority for Public Services Regulation (APSR) has issued Decision 15/2023 regulating the installation of charging units for electric vehicles.


Article one of the decision states that provisions of the attached bylaw shall come into effect from the day following the date of its publication in the official gazette.


Electric vehicles (EVs) have been described as ones that are carbon-free and rely entirely on electric power to propel and move them.


To get the electricity for the charging unit, the account must be registered with the licensee to distribute electricity or the licensee to supply electricity (a company that has the license to provide electricity for EV charging units) that is linked to the property, whether the registration is in the name of the owner or the tenant.


The device, equipment, or machine designated for charging the electric vehicle must be owned for non-commercial purposes.


The device can be installed on roads and places intended for the public to frequent, such as public parking lots, fuel stations, and commercial centers, which are owned for commercial purposes.


No person may construct and install a private or public electric charging point except after obtaining the approval of the electricity distribution licensee after providing all the required data and details.


Every person who owns or operates a private or public electric charging point must comply with the regulatory and technical requirements approved by the Authority and the concerned authorities.


When constructing and installing a private or public electric charging point, the technical requirements approved by the licensee to distribute electricity must be adhered to, provided that the construction and installation process is carried out through the contractor.


The licensee to distribute electricity may, if the need arises, request the owner of the private or public electric charging point to amend the electricity connection agreement or conclude a separate connection agreement.


The tariff specified in accordance with the provisions of the approved tariff regulation for connection and supply of electricity shall be applied to the consumption of the special electric charging point, and according to the type of consumption category for the subscriber's account.


The tariff specified in accordance with the provisions of the Tariff Regulations of the aforementioned cost shall be applied to the consumption of the public electric charging point, without being restricted to the minimum electricity consumption.


Special electric charging point


The property owner is responsible for installing and operating the private electric charging point, and if the property is rented, the tenant must obtain the written consent of the property owner before installing or operating the special charging point.


In all cases, the property owner remains responsible for the tenant's obligations in the event that the subscriber's account data is not updated in the name of the tenant in the system licensed to supply electricity.


The owner of the private electric charging point shall bear the costs of the sub-meter for measuring the electric vehicle charging consumption and the costs of its installation.


The owner of a private electric charging point is prohibited from allowing others to benefit from the services of his electric charging point for commercial purposes.


The connection of electricity to the public electric charge point shall be through a separate meter, independent of any other meter.


The owner of the public electric charging point shall bear the cost of the meter referred to in Article (9) of this regulation, the installation costs, and any other costs required by the connection process, unless he concludes a written agreement with the operator of this point to the contrary.


Net-zero carbon emissions


The Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology (MTCIIT) recently launched a special program for cutting down carbon emissions in various sectors, including the transport sector or the communications and information technology sector, which account for nearly 20% of the total carbon emissions in Oman.


The ministry divided its carbon neutrality plan into three phases: Cutting down three percent of carbon emissions by 2030; 34 perent of carbon emissions by 2040; and 100 percent of carbon emissions by 2050.


In the first phase of its plan, the ministry seeks to reach 7,000 electric cars—which account for 35 percent of the new light vehicles—and cut down 40 percent of carbon emissions from heavy equipment by using dual combustion technology.


The technology was fully developed in Oman.


The ministry also plans to use biofuel in public transport vehicles and transform some port equipment into environment-friendly devices that use electricity.


In the second phase, the ministry targets reaching 22,000 new electric cars by 2040, which comprise 65 percent of the new vehicles in Oman.


The ministry is also working on a plan to limit the operating age of public transport vehicles in a manner that boosts the reduction of carbon emissions.


The second phase also envisages upgrading bus stations and buildings, namely by installing solar panels that contribute to the reduction of emissions.


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