Sultanate gets its first solar-powered schools

Each school’s solar installation should reduce its grid-supplied electricity demand by at least 150MW hours per year

Muscat - Shell Development Oman launched its ‘Solar into Schools’ initiative at a ceremony held at the Um al Fadhil School for Basic Education in Birkat al Mouz, Nizwa on Wednesday.

The ceremony was held under the patronage of H E Dr Madeeha bint Ahmed bin Nassir al Shaibaniya, Minister of Education, and was attended by a number of officials and dignitaries from Dakhliyah governorate. School staff, students and Shell’s management and staff too attended the event, stated a press release.

The ‘Solar into Schools’ initiative is part of Shell’s ‘Gift to the Nation’ in which it committed to train small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and give contract to them to install solar systems in 22 schools across all governorates of the sultanate in the coming few years.

The other pilot schools include the Sultan Qaboos School in Buraimi and Khawlah bint al Hakeem School in Salalah.

Each school’s solar installation should reduce its grid-supplied electricity demand by at least 150MW hours per year, which is approximately equivalent to the energy needed to power hundreds of residential homes in Oman each year.

In addition, each solar school will reduce around 100 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.

To empower local businesses, Shell is contracting Omani SMEs to install the solar panels in the schools under this project. The project, therefore, not only helps contribute to Oman’s energy transition, but also helps build a platform for development and implementation of other small-scale solar projects in Oman.

H E Dr Madeeha said, “The launch of the 'Solar into Schools' initiative is part of the real partnership between public and private sectors. “This initiative is in line with the ministry's continuous efforts to benefit from the technical solutions offered by private sector institutions to implement the government’s vi- sions in searching for alternatives for renewable energy to save our environment.

“We are delighted that Shell has supported Oman's efforts to transform solar energy in a sustainable way. In the coming year, the project will be launched in North Batinah and South Batinah as well.”

H E Dr Madeeha explained how the implementation of this initiative is linked to enhancing students' scientific knowledge of the concept of sustainable development. “They will undoubtedly contribute to raising awareness about alternative sources of energy in the sultanate in terms of sources and uses, how to rationalise consumption, and types of solar stations.”

Chris Breeze, Shell’s country chairman in Oman, said, “We are very impressed with the Omani SMEs undertaking these projects. Ajwa for Solar Energy Solutions Systems, run by its CEO, Juma al Batrani and Hussam Technology Company, run by its CEO Dr Firas Abduwani, executed the projects in Nizwa, Buraimi and Salalah to internationally recognised standards and should be in a good position to build on this experience in future.”

The other schools included are the Sultan Qaboos School in Buraimi and Khawlah bint al Hakeem School in Salalah