Attempting to support use of alternative energy, Oman made first steps towards converting end-of-life tires to fuel and using them in cement production. Recently, the Oman Environment Holding Company (be'ah) has signed an agreement with Oman Cement to supply TDF – fuels derived from end-of-life tires – to the Oman Cement Company.

The agreement was signed by Eng. Tariq bin Ali Al Amri, CEO of be'ah, and Eng. Salem bin Abdullah Al-Hajri, CEO of Oman Cement Company. The memorandum was signed on the February 6 with a number of employees and concerned officials from both sides present at the event.

This project of using waste as alternative fuel is considered the first-of-its-kind in the Sultanate. With regard to the objectives of the agreement, Al Amri stated, “This agreement seeks to achieve be’ah’s strategy by adopting practices that ensure waste management in a sustainable manner, and safe disposal of waste materials by using them in energy production, or extracting raw materials for added value.”

In addition, Al Amri emphasised that "this matter will directly reflect on conserving and sustaining the environment for future generations."

In turn, Al-Hajri indicated that “this agreement will achieve our strategic goals with regard to the diversification of energy sources and the use of other sources to convert fuel that will be used for cement production.”

He added that the agreement will contribute to the national economy and provide business opportunities for small and medium enterprises through the production and transportation of fuel from engineered landfills to the cement factory; where approximately 30,000 tons per year of [end-of-life] tires will be processed.”

Al-Hajri emphasised that “the project includes positive dimensions in terms of using tires as an alternative fuel and thus preserving the environment of the Sultanate.”

The Oman Cement Company is working in cooperation with be'ah during the past two years to study ways of cooperation between the two companies to take advantage of waste as an alternative fuel for natural gas that is currently used in the cement manufacturing furnaces at Oman Cement factory located in Muscat, and the study proved that the end-of-life tires are the best and the most suited waste stream for this purpose, and the easiest in terms of handling.

The study also concluded that the factory systems are ready to deal with gas emissions resulting from tire burning operations with a safe, sound and without any damage to the surrounding environment. Several precautionary procedures have been proposed for safety and security measures.

The two parties wish to work together to develop an implementation mechanism to diversify the energy sources through the use of alternative fuels derived from expired tires.

Article by ABC Oman.