Another large scale solar power project is being planned in Oman after the kingdom energized the 1st utility scale solar PV plant with 100 MW capacity, commissioned by Marubeni Corporation of Japan for Petroleum Development Corporation (PDO) in 2020 (see 100 MW PV For Oil Offtaker In Oman).
The new solar power project is being referred to as North Oman Solar IPP. It is proposed to have 100 MW capacity and will be developed as an independent power project (IPP), integrated with what would be the 1st time in the kingdom – a battery storage component having some 30 MW capacity. It will be located in Block 6 concession and supply clean energy to oil and gas facilities in North Oman, reported Middle East focused news portal Zawya quoting a joint presentation by PDO and Energy Development Oman (EDO) during a recent webinar.
EDO is a new upstream oil and gas company created in December 2020 by the Government of Oman to own the largest oil and natural gas field in the kingdom – and Block 6 is operated by the PDO.
The North Oman Solar IPP is currently in the engineering design phase. It will be competitively tendered, but there is no specific timeline for that. However, it is planned to be commissioned by around March 2023.
In July 2020, another state owned firm Oman Power and Water Procurement Company called for request for proposals from 9 pre-qualifying companies for its 1 GW solar PV tender (see RFP Issued For 1 GW Solar Tender In Oman).
Oman is increasingly exploring its renewables potential to also produce green hydrogen. In May 2021, Oman's state-owned oil and gas firm OQ along with Kuwait's EnerTech and InterContinental Energy announced plans to produce 1.8 million tons of zero-carbon renewable hydrogen annually and 10 million tons of green ammonia annually using 25 GW of solar and wind power (see 25 GW Solar & Wind For Oman's Green Hydrogen Project).