Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) marked Oman Environment Day with a high level profile event attended by senior officials at the Company’s Muscat headquarters this morning. A wide ranging programme included the signing of two Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Riyada as part of advancing PDO’s energy management strategy.

In both MoUs, PDO is looking to build a positive environmental culture across Oman by focusing on energy management, specifically energy saving and renewable energy utilisation. It is aiming to achieve this through competitions targeted at key groups in the Sultanate.

The chief guest at the event was His Excellency Mohammed bin Salim al Tobi, Minister of Environment and Climate Affairs (MECA). He praised PDO on its leading role in safeguarding the environment, stressing that “the pioneering projects and initiatives adopted by the Company in areas such as renewable energy, reduction of emissions and compliance with general environmental requirements will contribute to the preservation of the Omani environment.”

He also commended the constructive cooperation with the Company, highlighting its support for the Ministry’s efforts to improve and simplify procedures. “MECA became the first ministry to implement LEAN methodology to simplify procedures and eliminate waste.”

His Excellency also thanked the Environment Society of Oman (ESO) for their significant efforts in a cleanup operation around Masirah Island last summer and presented a certificate of appreciation to representatives from the ESO and PDO.  The ESO worked closely with MECA, PDO staff and contractors Carillion Alawi in removing debris from loggerhead turtle nesting beaches after a cargo ship sank off the coast in July 2016, depositing plastic waste around the coastline.

The MoU with the Ministry of Education is aimed at building a positive environmental and research culture across Oman focused on renewable energy. It will seek to achieve this by supporting school students to participate in a competition designed to enhance their research and awareness in the field of renewable energy.

The MoU with Riyada, the Public Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises, aims to encourage and support a platform for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to participate and compete through an innovative competition. It will be focused on providing solutions for the oil and gas industry to reduce energy consumption and to utilise renewable resources across the sector.

Technical Director Amran Al Marhubi led the PDO delegation at the Oman Environment Day celebrations and signed the Ministry of Education agreement with the Undersecretary for Educational Planning & Human Resources Development, His Excellency Saud bin Salim Al Balushi and the Riyada MoU with its deputy CEO for Operations Khalid bin al Safi Al Huraibi,

“Protecting our environment and sustainability are key priorities at PDO and impact everything we do on a daily basis. I am confident that the MoUs that we have signed today with Riyada and the Ministry of Education will generate exciting energy management ideas that will help to promote a sustainable future in this vital area for the Sultanate,” said Mr Al Marhubi.

As part of its Oman Environment Day activities and aligning with the MoUs, PDO also announced the next phase of its Bea’tona environmental campaign where the focus will be on energy management. Bea’tona بيئـتنـا (translated as “our environment”) was launched in 2015 and  focuses on different themes each year. The first area to be promoted was recycling followed by food wastage in 2016.

One of the highlight of the day was a tour of PDO green energy initiatives showcasing a range of environmental projects and achievements within the Company including Miraah, Nimr wetlands, car park solar project and solar-powered cat’s eye lights (road markers).

The celebrations also included the launch by PDO of an HSE Glossary, explaining key terms and abbreviations in Health, Safety and the Environment. The glossary in English and Arabic is available on the PDO website and is the first of its kind in the Sultanate.