OPWP plans to award the construction contract for the projects in the third quarter of 2020
Image: The two solar power plants will be built adjacent to each other at a site in Manah, Oman. Photo: Image by andreas160578 from Pixabay.
The Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) has launched a request for qualifications (RfQ) for the development of two solar projects in the country.
The development of the two solar Independent Power Projects (IPPs), Manah Solar I IPP and Manah Solar II IPP, is a part of Oman’s aim to diversify fuel sources through the use of clean energy for power generation.
The two projects, each with generation capacity between 500MW to 600MW, will help meet the country’s growing demand for electricity.
Planned to be built adjacent to each other at a site in Manah, approximately 150 km from Muscat, the projects will be built, owned and operated by the private sector.
The scope of the projects includes financing, procurement, engineering, construction, operation and maintenance.
Two solar IPPs are planned to be commissioned by Q4 2022
OPWP plans to award the construction contract for the projects in the third quarter of 2020, with commercial operations scheduled to begin by the fourth quarter of 2022.
The firm said in a statement: “With Oman’s continuous growth, implementation of wider scale solar power projects based on the IPP model will allow OPWP to achieve its objectives of sustainably providing power generation capacity.
“The sector will aim to implement solar power projects with a focus on building local capabilities in line with the Nama Group’s sustainability strategy.”
In May 2019, a consortium of ACWA Power, Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC) and Alternative Energy Projects (APECo) was selected by the OPWP for the development of the 500MW Ibri-2 solar project in the country.
The consortium will execute the project on a build, own, operate (BOO) basis. It will be responsible for the development, finance, construction, and operation of the solar plant.
ACWA Power is the lead investor in the project with 50% stake, while GIC and AEPC each control 40% and 10% respectively.
During peak generation, the solar plant will generate enough electricity to be supplied to 33,000 Oman households, while offsetting 340,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.