Oman Power and Water Summit, the signature annual forum of the Sultanate’s rapidly expanding utility sector, began on Sunday, featuring case studies and discussions on strategies and policies implemented in Oman, Ireland, United Arab Emirates and Jordan to improve energy efficiency and enhance power and water assets operational performance.

Chairing the focus day dedicated to energy efficiency, Qais al Zakwani, Deputy Executive Director, Authority for Electricity Regulation — Oman, opened the session by outlining the regulator’s policy and objectives in promoting energy efficiency initiatives in the Sultanate.
Now in its second year, the Summit has been endorsed by all of the major authorities in the industry, including the Public Authority for Electricity and Water, Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources, Authority for Electricity Regulation — Oman, Electricity Holding Company, Oman Power and Water Procurement Company and Rural Areas Electricity Company.
More than 350 delegates from Oman and abroad are attending the 4-day summit at the Grand Hyatt Muscat. Key issues in the power and water sector such as energy efficiency, sustainable power generation and water desalination capacity, renewable energy, optimization of asset performance, cost reduction, rationalisation of energy consumption, and the security and quality of the electricity and water system are being discussed by regional and international experts and Oman power and water sector’s stakeholders.
Inaugurating the main conference on May 7, Mohammed bin Abdullah al Mahrouqi, Chairman, Public Authority for Electricity and Water delivered the keynote address outlining the Authority’s strategies and objectives to support the growth of the power and water industry.
Al Mahrouqi stated: “Improving energy efficiency is one of PAEW’s key objectives, we hope that the second edition of the Oman Power and Water Summit will allow even more local and international industry experts to share their ideas on optimising the use of electricity and water resources and enhancing energy efficiency. We look forward to hearing about policies and strategies implemented abroad that we can learn from and use to adapt best practices to respond to our country’s needs.”
“With an increasing turnout from across the power and water industry, this forum provides year-on-year an unrivalled setting for the industry’s authorities to engage with all the public and private stakeholders and explore new possibilities to improve the performance and efficiency of the Sultanate’s power and water sector,” added Rozenn Cornec, Divisional Director — Oman at IQPC Middle East.
Commenting on the conference opening, C J Paul, General Manager of Global Exhibitions and Conferences LLC (GEC), said: “As the premier platform for the power and water sector, this industry forum plays a vital role in setting the agenda for this sector’s sustainable growth at a time of unprecedented demand growth.
By enlisting the best industry minds to present on cutting-edge issues, such forum is indispensable to the goal of finding the right solutions to the sector’s increasingly formidable challenges.”
A number of prominent local and international solutions and service providers are participating in the Summit as sponsors and exhibitors, including Wartsila, Towell Engineering, Siemens, International Power GDF-Suez, STOMO, UTICO, ACWA, Abener Abengoa, Power Economy Middle East, Oman Cables Industry, Modern Water, TERRA NEX Financial Engineering, TORAY, Sogex Oman, Future Pipe Industries, Larsen & Toubro Oman, Saint Gobain, Al Dastoor Trading & Contracting, Giza Systems and Al Wasail Industrial Company.