MUSCAT, APRIL 29 - Twelve international consortiums have been prequalified to participate in a competitive tender to implement Oman’s first utility scale solar PV project – a 500 MW scheme planned at Ibri in Dhahirah Governorate. Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP), the wholly government owned off-taker of electricity and water capacity which is also overseeing the competitive process, named the prequalified parties as follows (in alphabetical order: (1) Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC ( Masdar) and Total Solar (2) BP Alternative Energy Investments Limited, Lightsource BP Renewable Energy Investments Limited and China New Energy Development (Zhejiang) Co (3) EDF Energies Nouvelles and Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) (4) International Company for Water and Power Projects (ACWA Power) (5) International Power SA (IPSA) (6) GCL New Energy International Limited and Alfanar Company (7) Hanwha Energy Corporation and Hanwha Q CELLS Corporation (8) Marubeni Corporation (9) Mitsui & Co, Ltd (10) Sumitomo Corporation (11) X-ELIO Energy, SL, and (12) Zorlu Enerji Elektrik Uretim A and Abengoa Energa SA.
They were among a total of 28 international developers (along with their consortium partners) that had originally registered their interest to participate in the bid when a Request for Qualifications (RfQ) was floated by OPWP late last year.
The successful bidder win secure the government’s mandate to design, build, finance, own, operate and maintain the commercial scale solar photovoltaic scheme, which is estimated to cost around $500 million.
Dubbed ‘Ibri II Solar IPP’, the project will be one of several large-scale solar ventures — in addition to possible wind based schemes as well — planned for procurement by OPWP in line with the government’s strategy to secure a minimum 10 per cent contribution from renewables to the country’s total power generation capacity by the year 2025.
A formal contract award for Oman’s maiden commercial-scale solar PV venture is expected to be announced in Q3 2018 with the Commercial Operation Date (COD) slated for early 2021.
“OPWP is currently working to finalise the Request for Proposals (RfP) which will soon be issued to the above listed prequalified applicants upon receipt of the relevant approvals,” the state-owned offtaker — part of Nama Group — added.
Conrad Prabhu
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