Both the plants originally went into simple-cycle operation in 2012, to meet Oman’s increasing demand for electricity, before being put into commercial operation in combined-cycle mode in April 2013.
With their combined electrical generating capacity of 1.5GW, both the plants will increase the country’s existing capacity of 4.5GW to about 6GW.
Sohar 2 was built in the Sohar industrial park about 200km northwest of the nation’s capital, Muscat, while Barka 3 was constructed in the adjacent area of Muscat.
For both the plants, Siemens supplied the main components, which include two SGT5-4000F gas turbines, one SST5-5000 steam turbine, three SGen5-2000H generators, the electrical equipment and the SPPA-T3000 instrumentation and controls system.
GS E&C supplied the heat recovery steam generators and was responsible for the civil construction work, electrical transformers and ancillary systems, as well as equipment installation.
