(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Muscat- In a significant effort to tap into the sultanate's renewable energy potential, Sohar Port and Freezone recently entered into a land lease agreement with Shell Development Oman. This agreement means that businesses in the Sohar Freezone could be powered by solar photovoltaic (PV) projects instead of gas.
Last week, H E Laetitia van Asch, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Oman, hosted a ceremony to officiate this collaboration at the Crowne Plaza OCEC in Muscat.
Mark Geilenkirchen, CEO of Sohar Port and Freezone said, 'Sustainability is one of our key values in driving development at Sohar Port and Freezone and this partnership with Shell will create solar powered solutions that are the first-of-its-kind in the country. This also marks an incredible milestone and the first step in our proactive long-term programme, that we have already begun implementing, to transform our 4,500-hectare development into a 'green Freezone'. We hope that the changes we are implementing today will encourage current clients and future investors to adopt cleaner technologies and sustainable practices tomorrow.'
Sohar Port and Freezone will allocate 600 hectares of land for solar plants under development, with capacities ranging from 10MW up to 40MV. The pioneering project of 25MW will be focused on providing dedicated supply to Al Tamman Indsil Ferrochrome (ATIFC), and the entire development will create long lasting economic value for the nation and the companies within the freezone.
Chris Breeze, Shell Oman country chairman, stated, 'Shaping a more sustainable energy future for Oman is everybody's responsibility. It requires us to work towards reducing emissions, tackling climate change, and ultimately changing the way energy is produced and efficiently consumed. Shell is proud to be involved in Oman's energy transition. These solar PV projects will free up natural gas resources for better economic use, support the green agenda of the Sohar freezone, and enable further economic development.'
H E Laetitia stated, 'I am proud of this collaboration between Sohar Port and Freezone, Shell and ATIFC in Oman. It is an excellent example of how Dutch borne sustainable and innovative solutions in renewable energy and logistics is able to contribute simultaneously to turning the economic diversification and its energy transition into a success.'
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