Vale, a global mining company, has signed a Head of Agreement with OQ Alternative Energy (OQAE) during Oman Sustainability Week. The agreement sets up a framework for future renewable energy cooperation in Oman. It focuses on supplying clean electricity to Vale’s pelletising plant located in Sohar Port and supporting future energy requirements for its planned industrial site in Duqm.
The pelletising plant in Sohar is part of Vale’s Oman operations. The company aims to fully convert the plant’s electricity use to renewable energy by 2030. The agreement with OQAE includes coordination on land access, energy planning, and aggregated demand for long-term renewable power supply.
The Duqm site, referred to by Vale as the Green Metallic Mega Hub, is intended to be a new industrial area to process iron ore into agglomerated products for low-carbon steel production. This site is planned to use renewable energy from the start of its operations.
Vale’s Chief Executive for Mega Hubs in the Middle East and North Africa, Saleh Al Muslahi, said that “this cooperation helps with planning how to deliver and use clean electricity across Vale’s projects. “
Najla Zuhair al Jamali, CEO of OQ Alternative Energy, said that “the agreement represents a step in helping Oman’s industrial sector reduce carbon emissions by replacing conventional energy with renewables. OQAE is the renewables-focused arm of Oman’s OQ energy group.”
In addition to this agreement, OQAE is progressing with other renewable projects in Oman. Among the efforts is a pilot solar-plus-storage setup in Adam designed to serve small industrial zones. The system includes 1.2 MW of solar capacity and 2.5 MWh of battery storage, operating independently from the national grid.
Another project includes a wind-powered desalination plant on Masirah Island, developed in collaboration with Oman’s Public Authority for Water. It uses a 400 kW wind turbine to support a low-energy desalination system, producing up to 250 cubic meters of clean water per day for the local community.
