Oman Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Company has signed an agreement with Shell to deliver Oman’s first carbon-neutral LNG cargo from Oman LNG’s world-class facility in Qalhat, Sur, Times of Oman reports.
“The cargo is the first carbon-neutral LNG from the Middle East using nature-based carbon credits to offset full lifecycle CO2 emissions generated across the LNG value chain,” LNG said in a statement.
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LNG added that nature-based projects aim to protect, transform, restore land and enable nature to generate oxygen and absorb CO2 emissions from the atmosphere. Such activities lead to the creation of ‘carbon credits’ where each credit represents the avoidance of greenhouse gases.
Oman’s research project focuses on zero-carbon emission
A pioneering research project on solar energy explores an appropriate starting point and development scenario for using renewable energy in Oman that may lead to the zero-carbon scenario, Times of Oman reports.
The project “Feasibility of Solar Energy (Photovoltaic) Systems in Oman” by Dr. Hussein A. Kazem, Chair of Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology Research Group at Sohar University, has witnessed a number of achievements in recent times.
“Feasibility of Solar Energy (Photovoltaic) Systems in Oman” was funded by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation in 2011. Solar power can be collected to produce electricity through a variety of methods. Among these methods, photovoltaic (PV) systems, or else known as solar cells, have shown great success due to many reasons.
Implementations of PV systems have shown that their reliability and efficiency depend on many factors, the dominant being the location (latitude, longitude, and solar intensity), environmental (temperature, wind, humidity, pollution, dust, rain, etc.), and the type of the PV used. Thus, before committing to large PV projects, a thorough investigation of the above factors is essential. Therefore, this project’s outcomes were available as the pillar point for any company planning to use PV systems in Oman, and particularly in Sohar.
Some of the achievements of the research project include publishing around 33 papers in Web of Science and SCOPUS indexed journals, publishing one book by an international publisher, registering one patent, training more than 200 Omani students on solar energy systems design, operation, and maintenance, in addition to establishing a Renewable Energy Lab and installing three solar PV systems (standalone type, grid-connected type, and solar tracking type).
To elaborate more about the success of his research project, Dr. Hussein A. Kazem mentioned that this project was recognized by the World Renewable Energy Congress 2016 in Indonesia, and Dr. Hussein was awarded the ‘Pioneer of Renewable Energy’ award, which is the highest prestigious award in renewable energy.
Moreover, the Renewable Energy Lab was recognized by the World Renewable Energy Congress in 2014 and was awarded the ‘Outstanding Renewable Energy Lab’ in the United Kingdom.
As for the most important findings of the research, it includes optimal tilt angle for the installation of PV cells in the Sultanate of Oman, the type of dust and its morphological component and its effect on solar PV systems in Oman, the effect of Omani climate conditions on PV systems, as well as how to develop a computer program able to determine the optimal sizing of PV systems in Oman based on the type of electrical load. The project also covered many applications and discussed the various methods used to examine and evaluate the performance of solar cells.
Dr. Hussein A. Kazem stated that the project served as an example of the importance of encouraging and supporting scientific research for technology innovation and development in the Sultanate of Oman to meet the local needs of its people and to adopt the international trends to cope with the continuous technological progress.
Global carbon emissions set for a second-biggest increase in history: IEA
Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions are on course to surge by 1.5 billion tonnes in 2021. This is the second-largest increase in history, reversing most of last year’s decline caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, an International Energy Agency (IEA) report shows.
This will be the biggest annual rise in emissions since 2010 during the carbon-intensive recovery from the global financial crisis.
The IEA’s Global Energy Review 2021 estimates that CO2 emissions will increase by almost 5 % this year to 33 billion tonnes, based on the latest national data from around the world as well as real-time analysis of economic growth trends and new energy projects that are set to come online.
The key driver is coal demand which is set to grow by 4.5 %, surpassing its 2019 level and approaching its all-time peak from 2014, with the electricity sector accounting for three-quarters of this increase.
“Global carbon emissions are set to jump by 1.5 billion tonnes this year – driven by the resurgence of coal use in the power sector. This is a dire warning that the economic recovery from the COVID crisis is currently anything but sustainable for our climate,” said Fatih Birol, IEA’s Executive Director.
“Unless governments around the world move rapidly to start cutting emissions, we are likely to face an even worse situation in 2022. The Leaders’ Summit on Climate hosted by US President Joe Biden is a critical moment to commit to clear and immediate action ahead of COP26 in Glasgow.”
Global energy demand is set to increase by 4.6 per cent in 2021 – led by emerging markets and developing economies – pushing it above its 2019 level. Demand for all fossil fuels is on course to grow significantly in 2021 with both coal and gas set to rise above their 2019 levels.
Oil is also rebounding strongly but is expected to stay below its 2019 peak as the aviation sector remains under pressure.
The expected rise in coal use dwarfs that of renewables by almost 60 % despite accelerating demand for renewables.
More than 80 % of the projected growth in coal demand in 2021 is set to come from Asia led by China. Coal use in the United States and the European Union is also on course to increase but will remain well below pre-crisis levels.
Electricity generation from renewables is set to leap by over 8 % in 2021, accounting for more than half of the increase in overall electricity supply worldwide. The biggest contribution to that growth comes from solar and wind, which are on track for their largest annual rise in history.
Electricity generation from wind is projected to grow by 275 terawatt-hours or around 17 % from last year. Electricity generation from solar PV is expected to increase by 145 terawatt-hours, up almost 18 % from last year.
Their combined output is on track to reach more than 2800 terawatt-hours in 2021.
Renewables are set to provide 30 % of electricity generation worldwide in 2021, their biggest share of the power mix since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and up from less than 27 % in 2019.
China is expected to account for almost half of the global increase in electricity generation from renewables followed by the United States, the European Union, and India.
The Global Energy Review is the IEA’s annual update on the latest trends in world energy and CO2 emissions. It covers all the main fuels and technologies, providing insights across regions, economies, and countries.You can read the report here.
