Business | General
Oman and India discuss clean energy cooperation
Blueprint encompasses raising nuclear power generation
- By Sunil K. Vaidya, Bureau Chief
- Published: 00:00 January 23, 2010
Muscat: Oman and India have prepared a blueprint on renewable energy cooperation, Dr Farooq Abdullah, Indian Minister for New and Renewable Energy, said.
"Though no memorandum of understanding has been signed, the discussions with Oman have been fruitful," Abdullah said at a press conference on Wednesday evening at the Muscat Inter-continental Hotel.
Abdullah is here on a visit to meet with Omani businessmen and to hold talks with the Omani government on areas of cooperation in new and renewable energies.
"The blueprint on the topic is ready on both sides and now we will study it and take it forward," the Kashmiri leader and senior minister in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's cabinet in India said.
Abdullah also attended the third World Future Energy Summit held in Abu Dhabi last week.
He pointed out that India unveiled a $19 billion (Dh69.7 billion) plan last year to produce 20 gigawatts of solar power by 2020.
"The research undertaken so far has shown that the cost of solar power could be brought down," he said in response to a question.
A consortium has been selected to advise the government on the development of Oman's first renewable energy project.
A pilot solar power project is expected to have a capacity of 50 to 200 megawatts.
The consultants will shortlist the possible locations for the projects, make recommendations about the optimum size of the plant and assess the current market conditions for a privately financed solar power project.
"There is an enormous scope for cooperation between Oman and India to achieve technological advancement in this area," Abdullah said.
He also appealed to the private sector to play its part in exploring renewable energy.
"We also want private enterprises to play a bigger role with the government acting merely as a facilitator," he added.
Abdullah also said that India had a flourishing and largely indigenous nuclear power programme.
Nuclear capacity
"We expect to have 20,000 megawatts of nuclear capacity on line by 2020 and 63,000 megawatts by 2032. It [India] aims to supply a quarter of electricity from nuclear power by 2050."
"India has been developing a nuclear fuel cycle to exploit its reserves of thorium which is a unique methodology.
"India has technology which is already there and we want to have institutional contacts too," he said.
"Our delegation in the IAEC has made an offer to Oman for peaceful uses of nuclear energy and there is a whole list of items we can collaborate with," the Indian ambassador to Oman, Anil Wadhwa, said while addressing the media with Abdullah.
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