Veolia and TotalEnergies partner in Oman to create the largest Solar PV Array powering a Desalination Plant in the Sultanate
Oman, June 14 2022 – TotalEnergies, via Total Solar Distributed Generation Middle East, and Veolia in Oman, via Sharqiyah Desalination Company SAOG, have begun construction of a 17 megawatt-peak (MWp) solar project to be installed at the Sur Plant.
The project will be the first-of-its-kind to be installed in Oman, and one of the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) systems providing power for a desalination plant in the region. The deployment of the solar-powered desalination plant is in line with Oman’s National Energy Strategy to convert 30% of its electricity use to renewable sources by 2030.
Veolia in the Middle East has put several measures in place to optimize the energy efficiency of the plant in the city of Sur, which provides drinking water to more than 600,000 inhabitants of the Sharqiyah region, and has decided to go one step further by using renewable energy to cover a large fraction of its daily energy consumption and reduce the plant’s reliance on fossil fuel.
Even though energy consumption at the plant has been optimized by the use of beach wells and the installation of energy recovery devices, the high-pressure system used to desalinate water consumes a large amount of energy which will be partially supplied through solar power. The solar system, to be installed by TotalEnergies, will supply over 30,000 megawatt-hours of electricity per year to Veolia’s desalination plant, allowing its energy-intensive operations to be fueled with clean energy, enough to cover more than 50% of the day-time consumption needed. This will result in the off-set 280,062 tCO2e CO2 emissions.
The ground-mounted solar project will be equipped with 33,000 high-efficiency PV panels and will use an innovative East-West tracker system to increase energy production. It will cover an area of 130,000 msq, equivalent to approximately 18 football fields.
Yaqoob Al Kiyumi, CEO of Oman Power and Water Procurement company OPWP added that this initiative is adding another perspective to the goal of having access to clean water in Oman. Employing solar energy as another energy source for desalination operation contribute to the sustainability objectives in Oman.
Pascal Grante, CEO of Veolia Near and Middle East said, “As a worldwide provider of water, waste and energy management solutions, Veolia is fully committed to supporting Oman’s Vision 2040 sustainability objectives for the Sultanate’s communities and industries. At Veolia, we are committed to fighting climate change and continuously strive to reduce the environmental footprint of the company’s activities, whilst producing renewable energy. Our efforts have led to a fruitful partnership with TotalEnergies, which I am incredibly proud of, and will result in the important use of clean energy.”
Also commenting on the project, Julien Pouget, Senior Vice President Renewables at Total said, “This project is in line with our strategy of developing renewable energy in the Middle East and providing our customers with clean, reliable and affordable energy solutions. We are committed to help Veolia decarbonize its operations, leveraging our robust experience company. of deploying renewable energy solutions on highly technical and complex sites. We are honored to contribute towards the development of renewable energy in Oman as a multi-energy company.
About Total Solar Distributed Generation Middle East
Total Solar Distributed Generation (DG) Middle East is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Total dedicated to the development of distributed solar energy solutions, including solar-powered rooftops, carport and ground-mounted solar power plants. Active since April 2018, Total Solar DG is one of the major international providers of fully integrated solar solutions for commercial and industrial customers in the region with a portfolio of over 70 MW of projects in development and operation.
About Total
Total is a broad energy company that produces and markets fuels, natural gas and electricity. Our 100,000 employees are committed to better energy that is more affordable, more reliable, cleaner and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, our ambition is to become the responsible energy major.
About Veolia Near & Middle East
As the global benchmark company for Ecological transformation, Veolia Near & Middle East provides public authorities and industries with game changing solutions that are both useful and practical for water, waste and energy management, generating a positive impact on communities and climate.
With 273 million euros in revenue (2022), our 3000 resourcers deliver innovative, cost-effective and sustainable solutions to clients while resourcing the world.
Across 10 countries, we provided 15 million people with potable water, handle 2.5 million tonnes of industrial waste, and distribute 130 MVH of district cooling.
We are moving forward hand-in-hand with our stakeholders, convinced that economic, social and environmental challenges must form an indivisible whole.
For Veolia, ecological transformation means working to radically change patterns of production and consumption. It means placing ecology at the heart of every process and every assessment. It means providing radical, meaningful solutions to major problems, with and for its stakeholders: local authorities, manufacturers, civil society, employees, etc. We're at the forefront of technology, creating innovative solutions to develop access to resources, preserve and replenish them.