Muscat, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO)
today announced it has awarded a contract to build a landmark 100
megawatt solar photo voltaic Independent Power Producer (IPP)
project to a joint Japanese-Omani consortium.
The Marubeni Consortium, comprising the Marubeni
Corporation (Japan) as the lead founder, Oman Gas Company,
Bahwan Renewable Energy Company and Modern Channels Services,
won the bidding process, which attracted competitive tenders from
highly reputed global developers in the renewable energy industry.
The plant will provide power for PDO’s interior operations and be
the first of its type in Oman. It will also be the world’s first utility-scale
solar project to have an oil and gas company as the sole wholesale
buyer of electricity.
The project includes the design, procurement, construction,
commissioning, financing and operation and maintenance of the solar
photo voltaic plant with a capacity of 100 megawatts.
The installation will be located at Amin, which lies in southern Oman in
PDO’s concession area, approximately 210km north west of the Wilayat
of Thumrait.
The power will be structured as an IPP under the terms of the
power purchase agreement for a period of 23 years.
The awarding ceremony will take place on 7 November at PDO’s
Muscat headquarters when more information will be released.
PDO Managing Director Raoul Restucci said: We look forward
to working with the Marubeni Corporation and consortium partners to
build our first IPP renewable energy project and as another building
block in support of Oman’s outstanding potential in renewable energy.
He added that PDO has already ventured into solar energy with
the giant “Miraah” solar plant in Amal, which it is developing with
partners GlassPoint Solar to produce steam for thermal enhanced oil
recovery (EOR).
He pointed out that PDO is also installing thousands of solar
panels in car parks at its Mina Al Fahal headquarters to power key
offices and feed into the national grid during non-working hours.
Source: Oman News Agency