German Unity Day

The German University of Technology in Oman is pleased to congratulate all German citizens on the occasion of German Unity Day which is celebrated on 3rd of October.

This auspicious day honors the reunification of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) in 1990, formally coming together as one German state

New initiative to solve the problem of treatment of water contaminated with crude oil: Polish-Omani scientific cooperation

The oil industry is one of the world’s biggest industries and is a locomotive driving the Omani national economy. The crude oil extraction is always coupled with environmental challenges, and in addition, it consumes a large amount of water which later needs to be treated: extracting 1 barrel of crude oil produces around 9 barrels of contaminated water. Furthermore, potential crude oil and wastewater spills due to accidents cause soil, river, and underground water contamination, harming local society and human activities. Eliminating these environmental and social consequences requires significant financial expenditures burdening the Omani national economy.

The Research and Innovation Centre , RIC Pro-Akademia, from Republic of Poland and the German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech) have established a new initiative to solve the problem of water contaminated with crude oil in Oman: the WASTE4H2 project. Within this project, produced water will be processed using an innovative process that can significantly reduce wastewater contamination. An additional advantage of the proposed technology is that it simultaneously produces hydrogen. The process will be powered with green energy, produced by the innovative PVT system, resistant to overheating and dusty sand from the desert.

“Advanced oxidation process has already shown promising results in treating industrial, agricultural, and domestic wastewaters containing harmful pollutants such as aromatic compounds, dyes, pesticides, etc., as well as pathogenic microflora. This is because of several major factors affecting the potential contaminants such as the high temperature, the emitted light spectrum, the production of the hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxide , and the generated shock waves in the vicinity of the discharge electrode” – says a Project Manager from RIC Pro-Akademia Dr.-Ing. Marcin Siedlecki.

“Currently, according to human attempts to build a carbon-free society, considerable attention is given to developing hydrogen-generating technologies. This is because hydrogen has a high specific energy density and is considered a clean energy carrier. Moreover, due to the intermittency of the renewable electricity generated by variable renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, hydrogen production offers a continuous way of converting renewable energy into so-called renewable hydrogen. For these reasons, hydrogen is regarded as an energy carrier of the future.” – said a Principal Investigator from RIC Pro-Akademia Dr.-Ing. Sergii Bespalko.

The current available electrolyser to produce green hydrogen requires high purity water. Consequently, it is necessary to have a water pre-treatment plant, which is another challenge concerning the excessive cost and membrane contamination when it comes to treating industrial wastewater. Therefore, developing an integrated system that converts industrial wastewater (e.g., produced water) to hydrogen seems to be a novel technology that is simultaneously addressing the technical issues of other methods and produces valuable products. In this project, wastewater will be processed using an innovative advanced oxidation process that can significantly reduce wastewater contamination.” said Dr. Eng. Najah Al Mhanna, the Principal Investigator at GUtech.

WASTE4H2 is financially supported by the Polish National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) in the framework of the INNOGLOBO program and by the German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech).

“We are very glad about of the established R&D collaboration between institutions of our countries – Republic of Poland and Sultanate of Oman. The proposed research project aims to develop a pilot unit at the scale of 0.5 m3 of wastewater per hour, combining advanced oxidation process for wastewater treatment and simultaneous hydrogen production for future transport, buildings, mobile electronic devices, and industrial applications. The new proposed technology will be interesting for the Polish oil refineries as well.” – said President of RIC Pro-Akademia Mrs. Dr. Ewa Kochańska.

“The increasing demand for energy while at the same time aiming to reduce CO2 emission (zero emission) gives a new level of urgency to the development of alternative technologies and approaches, such as renewable energy and hydrogen production. Hydrogen is considered as an essential key component in the future energy supply. Moreover, the potential of hydrogen as new economic engine for Oman has been emphasized by the Hydrogen Economy Feasibility Study that was conducted by the Ministry of Energy and Minerals in Oman” said Prof Armin Eberlein, the Deputy Rector for Academic Affairs at GUtech.

The kick-off meeting of the project partners was held recently at the Research and Innovation Centre Pro-Akademia, where Prof. Najah Al Mhanna represented the German University of Technology in Oman. The project partners had an excellent opportunity to discuss the timing and structure of the work packages, allocation of tasks, as well as envisaged deliverables and milestones.

GUtech’s Professional Development Days

One of GUtech’s mechanisms for professional development and training for its staff is the annual Professional Development Days (PDD), a one-week event scheduled on September 4-8 this year. The main aim is to welcome new academic and administrative staff members at GUtech and to improve the overall research and teaching environment. In addition, the one-week programme includes presentations by the Rectorate on the new roadmap of GUtech and a workshop to evaluate GUtech’s operational and functional plans. This week included eleven workshops ranging from workshops on academic advising, QS ranking, managing research through ORCiD and many workshops on improving education and research in GUtech. In addition, GUtech’s partner university, the RWTH Aachen University, Germany, conducted several PDD workshops.

INDICATING ITS STRATEGY TO POSITION OMANI PORTS AS A HUB TO SUPPLY GREEN HYDROGEN, ASYAD GROUP PENS RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP WITH GUTECH

  • The partnership showcases the competitive capabilities of Oman`s ports to export the green hydrogen
  • The agreement will include research on the role of Asyad’s ports and logistics services in shaping Oman’s green hydrogen economy.

Muscat, Oman – September– Driven by its goal to be among the leading companies in the global Green Hydrogen Value Chain, Asyad signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Oman Hydrogen Centre at the German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech) to study the potential of Oman’s ports and logistics services in shaping the nation’s green hydrogen economy.

According to international consultancy McKinsey’s Global Energy Perspective, green hydrogen demand is anticipated to grow sixfold by 2050 driven by the road transport, maritime and aviation sectors. Against this backdrop, Asyad’s agreement with GUtech includes conducting in-depth research and analysis against global best practices to enhance the efficiency of Asyad’s ports and logistics operations as well the competencies and human resources required to cater for this clean energy sector.

Essam bin Nasser Al Shaibani, Vice President of the Sustainability at Asyad Group said, “Asyad’s holistic approach revolves around achieving sustainability at various levels including economic, environmental and society particularly in its operations and development plans. Partnering with Oman Hydrogen Centre will help us identify, capture, and assess our strengths and areas of improvement. It will also allow us to gather the necessary data we need to set the competitive standards for our logistics services to contribute to the Sultanate’s efforts in building a green hydrogen economy and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.”

Al Shaibani emphasized that Asyad is working to position Oman as a global hub for the clean energy sector, adopting the latest logistics technologies to handle and export green hydrogen and its derivatives to markets all around the world.

Furthermore, it is working closely with the private and public sectors to contribute in achieving Net-Zero by 2050.

Dr. Sausan Said Al Riyami, Director of Oman Hydrogen Centre at GUTech explained that the partnership with Asyad is multi-faceted and includes energy efficiency, renewable energy, green hydrogen, and capacity building. She added that Asyad’s ports and logistic services can be leading the supply chain through research and development, the implementation of innovative processes, building local talent and attracting regional and international expertise, transferring and localizing technology. To date, the Group’s efforts in decarbonization and the development of the hydrogen sector have been regionally lauded, setting a benchmark for others to follow. These include promoting green shipping, energy conservation and optimization as well as producing, handling and exporting green hydrogen through Duqm, all of which showcase the rapid progress of Oman’s the logistics sector and the Group’s crucial role in promoting connectivity, trade and economic growth.

ADAPTEX project team at GUtech

Efficient sun shading strategies are important to protect building interiors from direct sunlight and overheating in view of climate change. Against this background, the ADAPTEX research project explores textile adaptive solar shading elements that can open and close autonomously in response to changing temperatures. Two different design concepts have been developed: ADAPTEX Wave is based on the deformation of textile strips, while in the Mesh design, two textile layers are differently superimposed to open or close the structure. In each case, the opening mechanism is enabled by the integration smart materials, in particular shape memory alloys (SMA).

After the functional principle has already been proven by the development and testing of ADAPTEX Wave and Mesh prototypes, the system will now be further investigated in actual application. Muscat in Oman, with its particularly high temperatures, offers an ideal climate for studying the system’s behavior under extreme conditions. Therefore, in August 2022, the ADAPTEX project team came to GUtech in Muscat with representatives from Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin (KHB), Priedemann Fassadenberatung GmbH and Carl Stahl ARC GmbH to install the solar shading system on the university’s ECO House. A decentralized sensor network is part of this installation, sending data over the cloud for long term monitoring, revealing how the system behaves during operation. Project partners are Verseidag-Indutex GmbH and i-Mesh | Customizable Textile for Architecture & Design, whom we also thank very much for their support and cooperation along the way. The project is funded by BMBF Zwanzig20 within the innovation network smarthoch3.

Higher Education Institutions Exhibition

The German University of Technology in Oman “GUtech” participated in the Higher Education Institutions Exhibition, which was inaugurated Yesterday, Tuesday , July 19,2022, by Her excellency Dr. Rahma bint Ibrahim Al Mahrouqiah, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Center.
The Exhibition aims to target the needs of those wishing to pursue higher education and professional skill-based qualifications to meet the growing demands of the Sultanate’s economy

GUtech and TÜV SÜD Middle East Cooperation

On June 30, 2022, German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech) and  TÜV SÜD Middle East LLC  signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The aim of the MoU is to cooperate on knowledge sharing along with developing and delivering sustainability solutions through training, advisory, and certification in collaboration with the Technology Transfer Office and Oman Hydrogen Center units in GUtech to support achieving the net-zero goal and hydrogen economy in Oman.

 

TÜV SÜD is an international third-party organization with a history exceeding 150 years. It serves the industry by providing the appropriate expertise in the areas of certification, inspection, auditing, training, and technical advisory. TÜV SÜD services have been expanded to include sustainability and digitization in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.TÜV SÜD’s multi-disciplinary teams of experts not only enable an integrated approach to be adopted for complex projects but also devise one advanced technical solutions. They make a significant contribution to developing the future opportunities of circular economy, advancing the expansion of energy from renewable sources and promoting decarbonization.

 

This cooperation is in line with GUtech’s efforts in equipping its students, and the Omani labor force with the skill sets that they would need to enter the national and global energy markets. Training and upscaling the skillset and knowledge of Oman’s energy sector is crucial in hope of achieving Vision 2040 and would be possible with international players like TÜV SÜD.

Diplomatic relations Germany-Oman

We commemorate the beginning of diplomatic ties between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Sultanate of Oman this year and since 1972. Ambassador Schneider wishes the people of Oman a happy 50th anniversary of this remarkable event. Over the past 50 years, both Germany and Oman have seen significant development. The German-Omani friendship, however, has shown to be strong and enduring. May we continue and develop our friendship for the next 50 years!

the German University of Technology in Oman participated in the 31st edition of the comex technology show from 23-25 May 2022 at eh Oman Convention and exhibition center

the German University of Technology in Oman participated in the 31st edition of the comex technology show from 23-25 May 2022 at eh Oman Convention and exhibition center.

 

As part of the participation, the university showcased their 3D Printed house, which is the biggest 3D printed house in the world. Mr. Mohammed Al Salmi gave a session titled “get insights on construction 4.0 (3D printing)” which was about the journey to reaching the title of the “World’s largest real concrete building 3D printed by GUtech University”.

 

in addition to that, ‏GUtech students’ start-up projects were presented at the UniversityX sessions at COMEX. The students won first and second place in both sessions. These presentations are an opportunity for the students to test their ideas as well as seek potential investors.

CEO of Nama Holding Group visits GUtech

Eng. Omar Al-Wahaibi, CEO of Nama Holding Group, visited the German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech) with several officials; In response to the invitation of Dr. Hussain Al-Salmi, CEO of the Oman Educational Services Corporation, to review the most prominent developments of the Oman Educational Services academics and research, and discuss its aspirations, future projects, and aspects of cooperation between the two parties.

The visit comes as part of strategic initiatives aimed at creating opportunities for cooperation between higher education institutions and the energy and electricity sector, opening practical horizons that serve the economic sector of the Sultanate, and providing research opportunities to apply academic theoretical knowledge on the ground in a practical way, ensuring the transfer of knowledge in a thoughtful manner, in line with local requirements. For the government sector, in addition to providing opportunities for academic institutions in the governorate and investing these energies to implement them across the Sultanate.

Engineer Omar Al-Wahaibi, CEO of Nama Holding Group, said: “Cooperating with the German University of Technology in Oman as a leading educational institution in the Sultanate opens prospects for growth and progress, and enhances the efficiency of the business that we will cooperate in implementing to ensure the sustainability of projects and ideas, by finding joint research and practical paths. between the two sectors and investing in the specialties that are unique to the university, so that cooperation with GUtech aims to share the theoretical experience of university students with the professional competence to produce projects that serve the market.”

During the meeting, Dr. Hussein Al-Salmi gave a visual presentation; It included the most prominent developments of the university, its specializations, and its achievements; He said: “We affirm our keenness to make this cooperation a success, so that we can direct practical, applied and advisory research activity towards areas that directly serve the government and community sectors, and open horizons for our students and university academics to closely view the needs of finding well-thought-out and usable solutions that are applied on the ground.” Al-Salmi said that one of the university’s priorities is to focus on using and developing alternative energy that works to achieve Oman’s 2040 vision.

The visit concluded with a tour of the Finland Oman School, a close acquaintance with the Finnish system, a tour of the Center for the History of Science, and a close acquaintance with the importance of the center and its role in highlighting the civilizational and Islamic contribution.