The Energy Efficiency Guideline for SOHAR Industrial Buildings is a first-of-its-kind initiative developed by SOHAR Port and Freezone in partnership with Oman Net Zero Centre to improve the energy and water performance of industrial and commercial buildings across the port ecosystem. The project was motivated by the recognition that buildings are often overlooked contributors to industrial energy consumption, despite offering significant opportunities for cost savings, emissions reduction, and operational improvement.
The objective of the guideline is to provide tenants, facility managers, and industries with a practical and standardized framework to assess building performance, identify efficiency opportunities, evaluate technical and financial feasibility, and implement improvement measures. The guideline is aligned with internationally recognized standards and best practices, including ASHRAE, ISO, AHRI, IPMVP, and Energy Star methodologies, ensuring consistency, credibility, and transferability across different facilities.
The project demonstrates leadership by establishing a common methodology for energy and water efficiency within one of the region’s largest industrial clusters. Beyond publishing the guideline, SOHAR launched a dedicated Energy Efficiency Masterclass to build technical capacity among tenants and support implementation of identified measures. The initiative strengthens collaboration between the port, government entities, facility managers, service providers, and industrial tenants, creating a shared platform for knowledge exchange and continuous improvement.
The guideline contributes directly to sustainability goals by enabling reductions in energy consumption, operational costs, water use, and greenhouse gas emissions while supporting Oman’s Net Zero ambitions and advancing SDGs 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, and 17. Designed as an open and scalable framework, the initiative can be replicated across other ports, industrial zones, and business parks, providing a model for accelerating energy efficiency and sustainability within industrial communities worldwide.