- Madayn has announced a 100 MW solar farm to be developed for its Suhar Industrial City
- It will be developed with its project partners Mubadrah and Solar Wadi under a pact signed recently
- The solar farm will supply clean energy to industries operating in the industrial city once it is online in 2022
The Kingdom of Oman is rapidly getting into clean energy space with a new 100 MW solar PV project announced by the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn), to be located in Suhar Industrial City.
Madayn has entered into an agreement to execute the project in partnership with its investment arm Oman Investment and Development Holding Company (Mubadrah) and local solar energy independent power producer (IPP) Solar Wadi. Madayn manages and operates 10 industrial cities in Oman, along with free zones.
While details of the 100 MW planned facility were scarce in an official statement released by Madayn, it said the project will be constructed in Suhar Industrial City and expected to become operational in 2022.
Ultimate aim behind setting up this solar project, explained Mubadrah CEO Mustafa Al Lawati, is to provide all Madayn tenants with savings on their electricity cost while attracting investors to develop the solar park. It would increase competitiveness of all companies within Madayn’s cities and free zones.
Suhar Industrial City is located in Batinah North governorate, stretching over 29.9 million sqm. Out of this, 10.7 million sqm is rented to 416 businesses from various industries as marble, paper recycling, leather, furniture, toothpaste, beverages, ice cream, resins, glass, steel bars, and engine oil., among others.
The 100 MW solar project is part of the overarching Madayn Renewable Energy Project under which more such facilities—including large scale solar PV plants—are planned to be rolled out across all industrial cities and free zones in the next few years by Madayn and its partners. Energy generated will be connected to the grid while bilateral contracts with bigger energy consumers will also be offered.
Solar Wadi said this is the 1st among a number of investments the company has planned for the Omani market expected to add up to 1 GW worth OMR 300 million ($780 million).
Oman’s Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ) in August 2021 said it is in negotiation with several international companies to establish green hydrogen and green ammonia projects in Duqm, Salalah and Sohar industrial cities, and that it is working to allocate specific area within Sohar Free Zone to produce solar energy (see ACME Group To Set Up Green Hydrogen/Ammonia Project).
Meanwhile, the proposed 100 MW solar park in Suhar makes it yet another large-scale solar project announcement in Oman after the Petroleum Development Corporation (PDO) got the kingdom’s 1st utility scale solar power plant with 100 MW capacity commissioned. It is now reported to be planning another 100 MW PV capacity with 30 MW storage (see Oman Planning New 100 MW Solar PV & Storage Plant).
