MUSCAT: Electricity generated in Oman reached 14 gigawatts per hour last year, said Eng. Hamad Al Maghdari, chief executive officer of the Rural Areas Electricity Company and chairman of Distribution Code Review Panel (DCRP). The demand for power in the Sultanate continued to grow and is estimated at 8 per cent per annum.
“In 2015, we have produced 14 gigawatts per hour while the electricity supplied was about 7,850 megawatts,” Al Maghdari said at the opening of the Distribution Code Review Panel conference here on Wednesday. The third conference of DCRP was under the slogan ‘Efficiency and commitment’.
Meeting also offered several recommendations such as raising the efficiency of staff of private sector companies operating in the electricity sector, emphasising the full commitment to the application of security and safety procedures set forth in the regulations for the safety of workers in the construction and operation of networks.
Al Maghdari also emphasised that the electricity sector has a significant importance in the national economy as it contributes to the GDP. “Electricity sector provides direct employment opportunities and meets the needs of the country’s electricity both for economic activity, in production and service sectors, and for home use,” he said.
According to the chairman of DCRP, electricity sector has some challenges.“We have some challenges to face like delays in the implementation of projects, which hold back the development of the sector,” Al Maghdari added. He also stressed the importance of raising the technical capabilities of companies.
“Raising the corporate technical capabilities of the companies will help them to perform the projects assigned carefully,” Al Maghdari said.
According to Eng. Sultan bin Said Al Qatabi, director of DCRP; the companies are applying international specifications and standards adopted by the GCC countries to provide a safe and continuous power supply to its customers. He also said that DCRP approved 190 companies operating in the electricity sector during the year 2015, including 159 small and medium-sized companies.
“Number of Omani nationals working in the companies registered with DCRP reached more than 4,000 workers,” Al Qatabi asserted. He also pointed out that DCRP approved 93 engineers specialised in protection, inspection and operation in the electrical contracting firms.
According to him, the number of qualified protection engineers working with contractors is 39 and the number of examination and operation engineers reached 54. Al Qatabi also said that the DCRP has approved 90 security and safety officers for contractors and granted licenses for practicing electrical work to five consultancy offices in the Sultanate.
Four presentations were also presented during the conference. The first presentation was on “HSE Audit and Recommendations” by Eng. Ali bin Essa Shammas, chief executive officer of Dhofar Power Company.
He said that the mission of Nama Group is to deliver safe, secure and efficient electricity service through competent staff and best practices to exceed customer expectations and be a leading utility company in Oman by 2018.
Another presentation on “Process of approval in DCRP” and it was made by Eng.Saif Al Ruheili, Head of Contractors and Consultants Approval Section in DCRP. The third presentation dealt with “Cable and Pipe Sealing Systems in Oman” and was presented by Dr Andrea Paul-Prossler, Head of International Sales at HauffTechnik, Hermaringen, Germany.
DCRP also listened to the proposals of contractors and suppliers and promised to look into them in order to serve public. A special exhibition was conducted by sponsors to promote their products on the sidelines of the conference. The exhibition was inaugurated by Al Maghdari.
