OQ Alternative Energy has reported major progress across three renewable energy projects that are expected to deliver a combined 330 MW of wind and solar power in Oman by the end of 2026.

The developments – the Riyah 1 and Riyah 2 wind farms and the North Oman Solar plant – are being implemented in partnership with TotalEnergies with a total investment exceeding US$230mn. Once operational, the facilities will supply renewable electricity to the grid operated by Petroleum Development Oman (PDO).

The projects include Oman’s largest wind farm and have already set several logistical and construction milestones, including the transport of the country’s longest inland convoy to move turbine components to site.

The Riyah wind projects are located at PDO’s Amin and West Nimr fields in southern Oman, while the North Oman Solar facility is being developed at Saih Nahaydah in the north of the country.

According to OQAE, the solar project has reached around 95% completion of tracker and photovoltaic module installation. The remaining panels are expected to be installed by mid-March 2026 as the project moves towards mechanical completion.

Meanwhile, construction of the wind farms has also progressed significantly. Seven wind turbines, each reaching a tip height of around 200 metres, have been installed so far, with work continuing to erect the remaining units.

All 36 wind turbine generators required for the projects have already arrived in Oman, with 19 transported from the port to the project sites. In addition, turbine foundations have been fully completed, enabling construction teams to accelerate installation activities in preparation for commissioning.

The developments have also exceeded their in-country value targets, with approximately 30% of total project expenditure retained within Oman’s economy. A number of local companies have been involved in supplying equipment and services, including Voltamp, Oman Cables, Al Kiyumi Switchgear and Al Hassan Switchgear.

Engineering work for substations was carried out by Worley Oman, while specialised logistics for transporting turbine components were managed by Khimji Ramdas.

Workforce localisation has also exceeded expectations, with Omani nationals accounting for around 40% of the workforce during development and construction. The projects have created roughly 150 direct and indirect jobs and include structured training programmes designed to develop local expertise in renewable energy.

Kumail Said, acting chief executive of OQ Alternative Energy, said the developments were designed not only to expand clean energy generation but also to strengthen the country’s industrial capabilities.

He noted that the projects are intended to support long-term economic diversification and build a domestic renewable energy ecosystem aligned with Oman’s national energy transition goals.

Once completed, the wind and solar facilities will contribute significantly to the country’s clean power capacity while helping reduce reliance on natural gas for electricity generation.

Aviation will not decarbonise at the pace required unless Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) projects can reach final investment decision (FID) far more rapidly, industry leaders warned during a recent Sustainable Aviation Futures webinar, hosted in partnership with technology company Johnson Matthey.

The session brought together voices from across the value chain: technology provider Johnson Matthey, airline group IAG, energy major Repsol, lender Santander, and insurer AXA.

The webinar host noted that while around 50 SAF plants are operational globally and roughly 40 more have secured financing, over 150 projects remain stuck in planning, with at least 50 abandoned or paused in recent years. “SAF is essential to decarbonise aviation, but getting projects from paper to FID is by no means guaranteed,” she said.

Defining FID readiness

For Paul Ticehurst of Johnson Matthey, being “FID ready” means a project is “fully defined” with clear capital and operating costs, timelines, production volumes, revenues and, crucially, a deep understanding of its risk portfolio. That includes off‑taker risk, feedstock risk, policy risk, construction risk, operational risk and technology risk. Early engagement with all stakeholders – investors, EPC contractors, insurers and off‑takers – is, he argued, essential to build confidence.

Sponsor strength, technology choice and regulation

From a developer’s perspective, Alfonso García of Repsol stressed that overall project risk hinges on three pillars: the sponsor’s financial strength and operating track record, the maturity and flexibility of the chosen technology, and the regulatory environment. In Europe, he described the policy framework as both “more material” and “more complex”, driven by multiple overlapping mandates. He underlined the importance of policy‑agnostic designs and product flexibility, allowing plants to switch output – for example, between SAF and renewable diesel – when market conditions shift.

Finance and insurance: putting risks on the right balance sheet

Urbano Pérez of Santander highlighted that most SAF plants to date have *not* been project‑financed, and that moving to true non‑recourse finance dramatically raises the bar for risk assessment. Lenders, he said, are “buying into the predictability of cash flows”, which in turn depends on robust off‑take agreements, secure and affordable feedstock, proven technology performance and disciplined construction.

Katie Lennon of AXA described SAF as a “relatively immature” industry that is unusually open about risk. She urged developers to bring insurers in “at the pre‑conception stage” so that technical risk consultants can help engineer out problems before construction. Insurance, she added, can absorb technology performance, credit, political and even weather risks – so long as the “right risk sits on the right balance sheet”.

Airlines’ long‑term role

Representing demand, Jonathan Counsell of IAG said SAF is “absolutely critical” to the group’s net‑zero plans, with up to 70% of its fuel potentially coming from SAF by 2050. IAG has already signed 10‑ to 14‑year off‑take agreements with power‑to‑liquid producers, but only after extensive due diligence on technology, pricing and policy exposure. Counsell backed SAF mandates in the EU and UK, but warned that sub‑targets – particularly for emerging e‑fuel technologies – must be realistic to avoid large‑scale buy‑outs that would signal “policy failure”.

Across the panel, one message was consistent: only early, coordinated engagement between developers, airlines, financiers, insurers, technology providers and policymakers will unlock the scale of investment needed to take SAF from niche to norm.

Electric mobility firm Ampere has signed a joint development agreement with Spanish battery technology company Basquevolt to accelerate the development of lithium metal-based batteries for future electric vehicles.

The collaboration will focus on advancing and validating a new generation of battery technology designed to improve energy density, charging performance and overall efficiency in electric cars. The project will be carried out in Spain and forms part of wider efforts to support innovation within Europe’s rapidly evolving electric mobility sector.

Basquevolt’s lithium metal-based batteries are based on polymer electrolyte technology, which differs from the liquid electrolyte systems used in most current lithium-ion batteries. According to the company, this design could significantly increase the amount of energy stored in each battery while also enabling lighter and more compact battery packs.

Industry specialists say such improvements are essential for the next generation of electric vehicles, where manufacturers are seeking longer driving ranges, faster charging times and improved thermal safety.

By combining Basquevolt’s advanced battery research with Ampere’s engineering and vehicle integration expertise, the two companies aim to accelerate the path towards commercial deployment of the technology in passenger vehicles.

Pablo Fernández, Chief Executive Officer of Basquevolt, said the agreement represents an important step in bringing polymer electrolyte battery technology closer to large-scale production. He noted that working with Ampere will help validate the performance of the batteries under real-world automotive conditions.

Nicolas Racquet, Vice President for Vehicle and Powertrain Engineering at Ampere, added that the partnership highlights the growing role of collaboration in the development of next-generation energy storage systems.

“Together we aim to accelerate the development of advanced EV batteries capable of meeting the evolving expectations of customers,” Racquet said.

The two companies have already worked together for more than a year to refine the technology. Early tests indicate that the batteries could achieve high energy density while also reducing the cost of battery packs compared with traditional lithium-ion solutions.

Basquevolt says its polymer electrolyte approach simplifies the battery cell manufacturing process, potentially lowering production costs and energy consumption at gigafactories. The company estimates that facilities producing the cells could require around 30% less capital investment per gigawatt-hour of capacity, while energy use per kilowatt-hour of battery output could fall by a similar margin.

If successfully commercialised, the technology could help manufacturers produce more efficient and affordable electric vehicles, supporting the broader transition to low-emission transport across global markets.

Energy storage has moved to the forefront of global innovation activity. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Energy security is emerging as a leading driver of innovation, according to a new IEA report

More than 150 technology breakthroughs are identified in the IEA’s latest State of Energy Innovation report, which finds that the energy sector is increasingly becoming an innovation powerhouse, with around one in 10 patents worldwide relating to energy, underlining the sector’s central role in national security, industrial strategy and economic performance.

Innnovation highlights

Innovation highlights include solid-state air conditioning, perovskite solar cells, fusion energy, sodium-ion batteries and next-generation geothermal systems. These advances contributed to 50 upgrades in technology readiness levels among emerging energy technologies tracked by the IEA. Innovations mentioned in the MENA region include thyssenkrupp Uhde’s cutting-edge hydrogen recovery unit (HRU) at Fertiglobe’s Fertil plant in Ruwais, UAE, which enables advanced hydrogen recovery from the ammonia synthesis purge gas, allowing for increased feedstock utilisation and a 6% increase in ammonia output. Also highlighted is the partnership between ADNOC Gas, Baker Hughes, and Levidian to deploy Levidian’s patented LOOP technology at ADNOC’s Habshan Gas Processing Plant. This captures carbon from methane and turns it into graphene and hydrogen.

The report highlights the shift in policy towards energy security, ahead of affordability and emissions reduction, with new initiatives such as the US Genesis Mission and the EU Competitiveness Fund reflecting growing emphasis on strengthening domestic technological capabilities and securing critical supply chains.

However, markets for some clean energy technologies weakened, the report says. For example, project delays and cancellations reduced expectations for the deployment of low-emissions hydrogen this decade. The IEA’s renewables deployment forecast for 2030 was downgraded by 5% in 2025 in response to policy and regulatory changes. Several major first-of-a-kind energy technology projects under construction, in areas such as near-zero emissions steel and direct air capture, were hit with higher costs and policy uncertainty.

“Energy innovation has become a strategic priority for governments around the world,” said IEA executive director Fatih Birol. “With energy security and industrial competitiveness at the top of the agenda, countries that sustain investment in research, demonstration and early deployment will be best positioned to lead the next generation of energy technologies.”

Energy storage tops global innovation activity, with batteries accounting for 40% of all energy patenting in 2023. China, Korea, and Japan remain leading sources of lithium-ion battery patents, with China’s share rising sharply over the past decade. In solar innovation, patenting has shifted toward perovskite solar cells, which now account for over 70% of solar cell patents by material.

The report underscores the importance of public support for energy innovation, but notes a decline in public and corporate R&D in 2025 as well as a drop in venture capital investment in energy technology, with high interest rates, macroeconomic uncertainly and competition from artificial intelligence ventures impacting energy capital flows. In the corporate sector Aramco is highlighted as a major R&D spender, with annual average R&D spending of US$1,300mn from 2022-2024.

Nevertheless, new growth areas are emerging. Funding for fusion, nuclear fission, critical minerals, geothermal, carbon dioxide removal and low-emissions industry has grown significantly, offsetting much of the decline in electric mobility investment. The report also highlights regional approaches to energy innovation, with China for example continuing to expand its footprint across corporate R&D and patenting, particularly in energy storage and industrial efficiency.

With shifting policy priorities and financial cutbacks, the report stresses that sustained and well-targeted public support remains critical, highlighting the transformative benefits brought about by energy innovation. Successful energy innovations can have major economic and social outcomes, impacting industrial competitiveness, trade, environmental health, infrastructure investment and security, the report notes. Aligning energy innovation strategies with broader competitiveness and resilience goals will be essential, particularly where technologies can strengthen domestic supply chains or reduce strategic dependencies. Ensuring access to funding across all stages of development – especially as private capital becomes more selective – and reinforcing partnerships across research, industry and finance will be key to maintaining momentum.