Fuel marketer expands EV charging network in Oman

Muscat: Oman Oil Marketing Company SAOG (OOMCO), a subsidiary of OQ Group, has announced that it has successfully installed 12 electric vehicle charging stations at strategic locations around the Sultanate of Oman – part of the ongoing push by businesses such as the fuel marketing company to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles in the country.

The rollout of EV charging infrastructure complements a number of initiatives undertaken by OOMCO and other fuel marketing companies to support their respective decarbonisation strategies as well as the country’s National Electric Mobility Strategy.

“OOMCO is making steady progress towards electric vehicles, having completed the installation of 12 fast chargers and connected major routes on Omani highways, creating the most extensive network of electric vehicle chargers in Oman,” the company’s chairman said in the directors’ report for the first half of 2024.

Furthermore, in order to reduce the carbon footprint associated with using fossil fuels for electricity supply, as many as 12 petrol stations are now powered by solar photovoltaic systems.

“OOMCO is continuing its sustainability journey to reduce its carbon footprint, having produced a cumulative 1,893 MWh of electricity from solar energy at its 12 power stations, which was consumed at its power stations and the surplus was fed to the grid, thereby recovering 1,325 tonnes of CO2,” the chairman said.

In addition, the company continues to install vapor recovery units at its gas stations. These units are designed to collect gasoline vapor released during unloading and refueling into underground tanks, helping to reduce emissions. So far, as many as 25 gas stations have been equipped with such units, reducing emissions by 952 tons in the first half of this year.

In line with its strategy to expand its reach locally and internationally, OOMCO’s service network has grown to 237 service stations as of June 2024. The company has also opened five new service stations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including its first service station in Riyadh, increasing its service network in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to 35 service stations to date. In Tanzania, the company operates 12 service stations.

Shell Oman Marketing Company, another major player in the fuel marketing space, said it has made progress in deploying green mobility solutions and establishing the first electric vehicle centre in Oman.

Walid Hadi, Chairman, said: “During the quarter, the company is in the final stages of negotiations with key stakeholders on strategic collaborations on electric vehicle charging infrastructure and various aspects of the energy industry to prepare for the energy transition and widespread adoption of electric vehicles. In addition, Shell Oman is on track to complete the first hydrogen refueling service station in the Sultanate and the Middle East by the end of the year.

The station shall offer a variety of services including, but not limited to, on-site hydrogen fuel production and refuelling facilities, Shell V-Power and other grades of fuel, non-fuel convenience retail options and Oman’s first electric vehicle centre,” Hadi added in the directors’ report for the first half of 2024.