Oman plans to start work on more green projects this year

Reuters/Phil Noble

Oman will likely issue requests for qualifications (RFQs) for new wind and solar-based independent power projects (IPPs) and a waste-to-energy project in the current quarter.

The RFQ for Duqm wind IPP, with an installed capacity of around 200-300 megawatts (MW), is expected to be released in the third quarter, followed by a request for proposals in Q1 2024, Nama Power & Water Procurement Co (PWP), the state-owned monopoly procurer for power and water, said in its latest 2023-2029 statement.

The project is proposed to come into operation in Q3 2026.

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The RFQ for the proposed 100 MW new Jalan Bani bu Ali wind IPP is expected to be launched in the third quarter, with commercial operation starting in Q3 2026.

The Ibri III Solar IPP, with a capacity of 500 MW, will see the release of RFQ in Q3 2023. The project is expected to begin commercial operations in Q4 2026.

PWP plans to issue the proposed waste-to-energy project at Barka this year after completing the feasibility study in 2018. The project will be supplied by municipal waste collected from Muscat and south Batinah governorates and have a capacity between 130 and 140 MW.

The project will come into operation in Q2 2028, the statement said.

Over the next seven years, PWP aims to diversify the sources of electricity generation with new solar and wind projects expected to contribute 11 percent of electricity production by 2025.

In early 2022, the state-run firm launched the region’s first wholesale electricity spot market to drive further efficiency improvements.