By:zawya

MUSCAT: Oman Environmental Holding Services Co (be’ah), a state-owned entity managing the country’s solid waste sector, has achieved a new milestone in the generation of carbon credits from its operations in the Sultanate of Oman.

According to Eng Tariq bin Ali al Amri, CEO, be’ah’s landfills at Barka and Al Multaqa, which are certified under the Verified Carbon Standard (Verra), have successfully generated a total of 67.7K Verified Carbon Units, which are equivalent to carbon credits.

“The certification of carbon credits for Barka and Al Multaqa landfills marks a significant milestone in Oman’s waste management journey,” said be’ah. “Through landfill gas capture and greenhouse gas reduction, be’ah has transformed these sites into benchmarks of environmental responsibility and innovation. This achievement aligns with Oman Vision 2040’s goals of sustainability and economic diversification, underscoring the critical role of modern waste management in tackling global climate challenges,” the state-owned utility – part of Oman Investment Authority (OIA) – stated in its newly published 2024 Sustainability Report.

A Verified Carbon Unit (VCU) is a tradable certificate representing the reduction or removal of 1 metric tonne of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e). These units are issued under the Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) — one of the largest carbon offset programmes globally.

Under an agreement signed in late 2022 with OQ Trading (OQT) – the commodity trading arm of the Omani government operating under the banner of OQ Group – be’ah is now able to benefit – strategically and financially – by trading in these carbon credits.

Carbon trades on the international voluntary or compliance markets create a new revenue stream for utilities like be’ah. Additionally, earning carbon credits can boost the utility’s net-zero and ESG credentials, and enable access to green finance, among other benefits.

Through its partnership with OQ Trading, be’ah says it continues to benefit from the latter’s expert guidance in identifying projects with carbon credit potential. OQT’s support encompasses all phases of project development, including certification, verification and the issuance of carbon credits, it stated.

be’ah’s landfill gas recovery projects at Al Multaqa and Barka are now registered with Verra for carbon credit issuance. Al Multaqa was fully registered with Verra in 2024, earning a total of 39K VCUs in credits in 2021 and 2022. Barka, on the other hand, was fully registered with Verra in 2024 with 28.7K in total credits issued in 2022.