In 2021, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), the Sultanate’s national oil and gas exploration and production company, announced its commitment to become a net-zero energy producer by 2050.

A key component of this goal is renewable power. Currently, the company has approximately 100 megawatts of installed solar capacity, representing about 10% of its total generating capacity. That will rise to 30% by 2025 and to 50% by 2030.

This capacity will feed into the company’s electrical microgrid, which supplies electricity to PDO’s operations across the Sultanate and helps to make the oil and gas company’s operations more resilient and efficient.

To help PDO plan, control, and optimize its renewable power generation assets, the company has selected GE Digital’s Advanced Energy Management System (AEMS). By ensuring PDO’s renewable generating assets are working efficiently, the GE Digital software supports PDO’s broader goal of keeping its hydrocarbon production operations running smoothly.

That’s crucial, given that the oil and gas sector comprises about half of Oman’s GDP, and the company is the biggest hydrocarbon producer in the country.

“The addition of GE Digital’s software will support the efficient management of our microgrid to keep our business operating and assist in the preparation for challenges and opportunities with renewables in the future,” said Zahir Al-Busaidi, Infrastructure Power Systems Department Manager for Petroleum Development Oman.

The new software is designed to integrate with electric utility functions, such as plant and field management, asset and maintenance management, IT internal services, security services, substation automation systems, HVDC line control, power plant control systems, and other EMS interchanges.

The software also is natively integrated to GE Digital’s Renewables & DER Orchestration solution and Wide Area Management System (WAMS) software, which are expected to become essential solutions to support PDO’s renewable journey.

Read more about how GE Digital supports renewable energy and grid stability across the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey region.