The Ibri Solar Project, the world’s largest renewable energy facility of its kind was opened in the Sultanate of Oman at a ceremony held in the Wilayat of Ibri, Governorate of A’Dhahirah. The 500MW utility costs $403m (OMR155m) and is listed among Oman Vision 2040 major projects. It is aimed at optimising available investment opportunities and protecting natural resources, a report by Oman News Agency stated.
The Ibri Solar Power Plant was officially unveiled by Sayyid Hamoud bin Faisal al Busaidi, Minister of Interior, in the presence of senior government officials representing the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Nama Group, its parent organization Oman Investment Authority (OIA), Authority for Public Services Regulation (APSR), and Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP), the off taker of output from the solar project.
This 500 MW plant has been generating carbon-neutral electricity for evacuation into the Main Interconnected System (MIS) serving much of the northern half of the Sultanate. It is the second such grid-connected renewable-based power scheme to produce carbon-free electricity in Oman, the first being the 50 MW wind farm that came into operation in Dhofar Governorate in late 2019.
The project constitutes an authentic form of partnership between the public and private sectors. It very much embodies the Sultanate of Oman’s ability to attract direct foreign investments. Oman Power and Water Procurement Company, an arm of Nama Group, realised the project through contracts with a group of GCC investment firms led by ACWA Power, Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC) and the Alternative Energy Projects Company (AEPC) to set up, own and operate the plant. Established on an area of 13 million square meters, of which 1.5 million was accorded to the double-sided solar panel, the project uses more than 7,000 square metres of cables. Mohammed Abunayyan, Chairman of ACWA Power, said that the project will peak in productivity through the generation of power sufficient for supplying 50,000 homes with electricity and cutting down CO2 emissions by 340,000 tons a year.
The Sultanate of Oman aims to secure at least 10% of the country’s electricity requirements from renewable energy resources by 2025, rising to 35% to 39% by 2040. The next major solar-powered scheme – Manah 1 and 2 – with a combined capacity of up to 1,000 MW, is expected to be revived for procurement via a competitive tendering process by end of 2022.
Source: biomarketinsights
