Oman’s Manah-I Solar Project to Power 75,000 Homes

EDF Renewables Middle East, the regional arm of leading international energy giant EDF Renewables, celebrated on Monday the award of a mandate to develop a 500 MW solar PV based Independent Power Project (IPP) at Manah in Oman’s Al Dakhiliyah Governorate. A consortium led by Abu Dhabi-based EDF Renewables ME, together with Korea Western Power Co Ltd (KOWEPO), a key player in South Korea’s power sector, signed agreements with the Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP), the state-owned single owner of electricity and water output in the Sultanate of Oman.

Taking part in the signings were Eng Yaqoub bin Saif al Kiyumi, CEO – OPWP; Francois Dao, Vice-President of the Middle East and Africa for EDF Renewables; and Kang Se-hoon, Director – KOWEPO. Decarbonization: 500 MW solar scheme to offset 1.1 million tons of CO2 annually when it commences operations in 2025. “We are thrilled to announce that we have been officially awarded the development of a major solar power plant in the Sultanate of Oman,” said EDF Renewables ME in a post. “The consortium led by EDF Renewables Middle East and Korea Western Power Co., Ltd. will design, build and operate the first 500MW solar IPP project for the EDF group in the country.”

The project award marks EDF Renewables’ maiden foray into Oman. The company already has a major presence around the Middle East, with a portfolio of around 3 GW of sustainable renewable capacity in operation or development in the GCC. They include world-scale sized ventures, such as the 2 GW solar scheme at Al Dhafra in Abu Dhabi and a 400MW wind farm at Dumat Al Jandal in Saudi Arabia. “The Manah solar power plant is part of our strategy to support the region’s Net-Zero ambitions, and to contribute to the Omani nation’s Clean Energy Goals, through the diversification of the country’s energy mix aiming at 40% of renewable generation by 2040,” said EDF Renewables.

“Once fully operational in 2025, the project will considerably contribute to the greener future of Oman by powering over 75,000 Omani homes with clean electricity, while offsetting over 1,100,000 metric tons of CO2 per year,” the developer added. Consortium partner KOWEPO will supervise Manah-I Solar IPP’s operations and maintenance after completion, the Korean energy firm had stated in an earlier statement. Significantly, Manah I Solar IPP is one of two grid-connected solar projects each of around 500 MW, that will be built side-by-side at Manah. Recently, the consortium of Singapore’s Sembcorp Industries Ltd and China-headquartered Jinko Power Technology Co Ltd, announced that it had secured the award for Manah II Solar IPP, a similar-sized venture, also slated for launch in 2025.