CONSULTING FIRM: Pöyry to study techno-economic feasibility of establishing first coal-based Independent Power Project -
Conrad Prabhu -
MUSCAT, JULY 3 -
Finland-based international consulting and engineering services firm Pöyry has been selected by the Omani government to study the feasibility of establishing a first-ever coal-based Independent Power Project (IPP) in the Sultanate.
Pöyry’s appointment was confirmed to the Observer by a high level official of the Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP), a member of Nama Group tasked with overseeing the procurement of new power generation and related water desalination capacity under the Sector Law.
“Pöyry is working with us in the preparation of a techno-economic study on the potential use of coal for a proposed Independent Power Project (IPP),” said Yaqoob bin Saif al Kiyumi (pictured), Acting CEO — OPWP. “Pöyry comes with a lot of experience gained from its lengthy involvement in the power industry in the wider region. They are involved in a coal based power project under way in the UAE, and are familiar with the Oman market as well, having worked with us on a number of projects in the Sultanate.”
The Finnish multi-disciplinary engineering firm is set to join a consortium of consultants being assembled by OPWP to provide advisory services on all aspects of Oman’s maiden foray into coal-based power generation. A number of international consultants are also in the race for contracts to provide legal, environmental and commercial advisory services as well, with appointments likely to be announced towards the end of the third quarter of this year, it is learnt.
Provisional plans drawn up by OPWP envisage a coal-based plant of a capacity ranging from 1,500 to 2,500 MW. The optimum size will be determined based on the recommendations of the techno-economic study, if indeed the introduction of coal-based power generation gets the all-important green-light from the government. The proposed scheme will be executed on a Build-Own-Operate (BOO) basis, mirroring the methodology currently in place for the execution of conventional natural gas-based power projects.
According to Al Kiyumi, the appointment of an advisory services
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