Experts from EU-GCC Clean Energy Network to visit Oman

May 8: High-level representatives of the EU-GCC Clean Energy Network, an initiative funded by the European Union (EU) to help explore opportunities for strategic clean energy cooperation in the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), are due to visit the Sultanate later this month for consultations with key stakeholders in the Oman’s energy sector.

The visit will take place against the backdrop of the 2nd Oman Energy & Water Exhibition and Conference, scheduled to be held at the Oman International Exhibition Centre during May 23-25, 2016. The three-day annual event has been organised by Oman Expo in collaboration with the Public Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW).

Launched in 2010, the EU-GCC Clean Energy Network aims to act as a catalyst and focal point in driving cooperation in clean energy between the EU and the GCC states. Part of its mandate is to support policy and technology development centring on clean energy utilisation. Building on this initiative, the EU rolled out the EUGCC Clean Energy Network II (CENII) project last December. The goal was to enhance EU-GCC energy relations by developing new appropriate structures and instruments for promoting practical cooperation in various areas of clean energy development.

As a first step, five working groups were established to focus on the following key themes: Renewable Energy Sources; Energy Efficiency & Demand Side Management; Clean Natural Gas & related Clean Technologies; Electricity Interconnections & Market Integration; and Carbon Capture & Storage.

In addition to its participation presenters at the Oman Energy & Water Conference, key experts from the EUGCC Clean Energy Network will also attend bilateral consultations with key stakeholders in the Sultanate on promoting relevant EU-GCC synergies, the Network said.

Since its establishment more than six years ago, the Network has conducted a number of capacity building initiatives, including workshops and seminars focusing on core themes, such as Energy Efficiency, Clean Technologies, Electricity Interconnection, Market Integration, and Carbon Capture. In the Sultanate, the Network has partnered with Sultan Qaboos University in delivering some of these programmes.