By:Zawya

Commissioned by TotalEnergies, the solar project is now fully operational and powering the venue with clean solar energy since early 2025.

The first major roof-top solar project for corporate needs was officially launched on Wednesday, marking a massive leap towards sustainability, at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) where more than 24 per cent of its power consumption would be covered by solar energy.

Commissioned by TotalEnergies, a global integrated energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas, biogas and low-carbon hydrogen, renewables and electricity, the solar project is now fully operational and powering the venue with clean solar energy since early 2025.

“This project is a major milestone in our ambition to become a more sustainable venue. It’s not only a positive step for our local environment, but also a strategic move to meet the growing demand from international event organisers seeking green and future ready destinations,” said Eng Said al Shanfari, CEO of Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, adding, “It also reflects the strength of partnerships: our collaboration with TotalEnergies Renewables Distributed Generation Middle East & Africa enabled us to deliver a highly efficient, high-impact solution tailored to our venue’s needs.” The project agreement was signed in March 2024, with construction commencing immediately thereafter. Completed in record time, the installation comprises 8,300 state-of-the-art solar photovoltaic (PV) modules spanning 16,600 square metres across the OCEC’s Atrium and Exhibition Halls rooftops. For perspective, this area is equivalent to 63 tennis courts, or two full-sized football pitches now covered with high-efficiency solar panels.

“We are honoured to provide clean energy to major exhibition centres such as OCEC, contributing to a more sustainable future in the Sultanate of Oman. This collaboration represents another step forward in accelerating the adoption of renewable energy in the region,” said Hamady S Y, Managing Director of TotalEnergies Renewables Distributed Generation Middle East & Africa.

Designed to significantly reduce the venue’s carbon footprint, the system is expected to avoid approximately 3,300 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually amounting to over 72,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions avoided over the project's lifetime. In addition to generating around 25 per cent of OCEC’s total energy needs, the PV modules offer added benefits such as lowering indoor temperatures by providing shade and protecting the roof from direct UV and rain exposure, contributing to further energy savings.

Speaking to the Observer, Georgio Akiki, Country Manager UAE & Oman, TotalEnergies Renewables Development Middle East said that the panels used on top of the OCEC are the largest of its kind in the region and would set an example for similar projects in future.

“The project with OCEC reflects our ambition to get to net-zero by 2050, as we are building a world class cost-competitive portfolio combining renewables such as solar, onshore and offshore wind and flexible assets (CCGT, storage) to deliver clean firm power to our customers,” Akiki said, adding that by early 2025, TotalEnergies’ gross renewable electricity generation installed capacity reached over 26 GW. TotalEnergies will continue to expand this business to reach 35 GW in 2025 and more than 100 TWh of net electricity production by 2030.