Dr Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidi, Oman’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, recently toured GlassPoint’s headquarters and lab facilities in California, US, and discussed GlassPoint’s solar energy innovations and how the technology can be further utilised in the sultanate.

Dr Al Sunaidi was welcomed at the facilitiy by GlassPoint’s chief technology officer Pete von Behrens and other members of the company’s leadership team.

Representatives from Oman Technology Fund, including chief executive officer Yousuf Al Harthy and venture investment leader Mohammed Al Rasbi accompanied Dr Al Sunaidi.

The delegation had an up-close look at GlassPoint’s solar energy innovations and how the technology can be further utilised within the sultanate.

GlassPoint’s technology has been successfully deployed in Oman since 2011, and is currently operating at Miraah, one of the world’s largest solar plants being built in collaboration with Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) in Southern Oman.

Dr Al Sunaidi said: “The sultanate is already a global leader in using solar energy for oil extraction and we are now looking at how we can use this renewable resource to power other industries and processes, such as desalinating seawater.”

“The utilisation of GlassPoint’s technology will continue to contribute to our economic diversification strategy and gives the company the opportunity to apply its know-how in other industries beyond oil and gas in Oman,” he said.

Dr Al Sunaidi continued: “GlassPoint has been a great partner to the sultanate over the years in helping establish Oman as a renewable energy hub.”

Von Behrens said: “Research and development is at the core of our company, where we’re constantly developing and testing next generation concepts from the lab to the field.”

“We’re evaluating new materials, designs and integration processes to further reduce costs and expand to new markets,” he said.

“We’ve been partnering with Oman for the past seven years to advance and scale our technology and are committed to creating long-term in-country value through future research and projects,” he added.

GlassPoint’s solar thermal technology delivers low-cost steam to power oilfield operations, reducing carbon emissions and fuel costs. Expanding the company’s technology in Oman will save valuable natural gas, create jobs and propel the development of a local solar energy supply chain.

The first 100 MWt of the gigawatt-scale Miraah plant were inaugurated early this year. The project is in daily operations and has met all steam output targets required by PDO’s Amal oilfield since it was brought online. Construction is ongoing with steam production ramping up to meet PDO’s future steam demand, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service