Wednesday 23 / April / 2025
Muscat: The Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) based in Muscat, in collaboration with TotalEnergies Renewables Distributed Generation Middle East & Africa and with the support of OMRAN Group, has officially commissioned its solar rooftop project, now fully operational and powering the venue with clean solar energy since early 2025.
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.
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% 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.
This initiative represents a major step in OCEC’s wider sustainability journey, in line with Oman’s national Net Zero 2050 ambitions. It complements a range of ongoing efforts, including the venue’s LEED Gold certification, the development of a biodiverse garden, regular food donations, a robust waste recycling program, and close collaboration with local suppliers and SMEs to implement further sustainable solutions.
Commenting on the launch, Eng. Said Al Shanfari, CEO of Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, said: “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. 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.”
Completed by Hamady SY, Managing Director of TotalEnergies Renewables Distributed Generation Middle East & Africa: “We are honored to provide clean energy to major exhibition centers 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.”
The system has already begun reducing emissions and supplying green power to events hosted at the Centre. Many events taking place at the OCEC will be benefiting from this new initiative, including the upcoming beneficiaries is Oman Sustainability Week, set to take place from 12–15 May 2025, which will be partly powered by this renewable energy source.
