Shell Development Oman (SDO) has signed a land lease agreement with Sohar Port and Freezone in Oman to develop solar PV projects for the deep-sea port and freezone in Oman, which is managed by Sohar Industrial Port Company (SIPC). SIPC aims to have its industrial tenants powered by solar power within the Sohar Freezone.
As per the agreement, Sohar will allocate 600 hectares of land, out of a total of 4,500 hectare area, for solar power development with project capacities in the range of 10 MW to up to 40 MW. The initial project is announced to be a 25 MW plant to provide clean energy to Al Tamman Indsil Ferrochrome LLC that runs its facilities inside the freezone. Details about other solar projects in the freezone that could be planned under the agreement were not disclosed.
"These solar PV projects will free up natural gas resources for better economic use, support the green agenda of the Sohar freezone, and enable further economic development in Sohar, by unlocking large scale solar opportunities," said Shell Oman Country Chairman, Chris Breeze.
SDO is working in the solar space in Oman for long now with its Solar into Schools program under its Gift to the Nation initiative committing to install solar power plants for public schools in the nation (see Shell Oman Steps Up 'Solar Into Schools' Program). Through its Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) in which Shell owns 34% share, it launched a tender for large-scale solar that was awarded to a consortium led by Marubeni Corporation with whom PDO signed a PPA in February 2019 (see PPA Signed For 105 MW Oman Solar Plant).
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