EDF hosts Omani delegation on landmark pumped hydro storage project

MUSCAT, OCT 11
French energy giant EDF recently hosted a high-level Omani delegation in France as cooperation advances on the Sultanate of Oman’s proposed 2-gigawatt (GW) Jabal Abyadh pumped hydro energy storage project - potentially the largest facility of its kind in the Middle East.
The delegation was led by Dr Saud bin Hamoud al Habsi, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, and included Ahmed al Araimi, Oman’s Ambassador to France; Ahmed bin Hamed al Subhi, Chairman of Nama Power and Water Procurement Company (PWP); representatives of the Authority for Public Services Regulation (APSR); and other key Omani stakeholders.
According to an update by EDF Middle East, the visit featured engagements with senior EDF executives, alongside technical discussions on the role of pumped hydro storage in supporting decarbonisation, grid stability and renewable energy integration.
A highlight was a technical tour of EDF’s Grand’Maison pumped hydro storage facility in the French Alps. With an installed capacity of approximately 1,800 megawatts (MW), Grand’Maison ranks among Europe’s largest pumped storage power stations. Its reversible pump-turbine system transfers water between reservoirs at different elevations, storing surplus electricity for subsequent generation during periods of peak demand.
The facility provides valuable operational insights for Oman’s proposed Jabal Abyadh development, particularly in reservoir management, hydropower forecasting, maintenance, dam safety, sediment management and infrastructure monitoring.
“These exchanges supported ongoing discussions on the development of Oman’s Jabal Abyad pumped hydro energy storage project. EDF looks forward to continuing this collaboration to support Oman’s energy transition and its ambitions for energy and water security,” EDF Middle East stated.
The proposed Jabal Abyadh project, being advanced by a consortium comprising EDF Power Solutions, ONEIC–Takhzeen and Green Universe Enterprise, seeks to harness the exceptional elevation differential between the existing Wadi Dayqah Dam reservoir and the adjoining Jabal Abyadh plateau.
Central to the development is a new upper reservoir planned at approximately 1,130 metres above sea level, providing a gross hydraulic head of around 940 metres. The system envisages an active water storage volume of approximately eight million cubic metres.
Designed for 2 GW of generating capacity and around 17.9 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of energy storage, the facility could supply electricity for nearly nine hours at full output.
During periods of surplus solar generation, electricity would pump water uphill through underground tunnels. When demand rises, the water would flow downhill through reversible turbines, generating dispatchable electricity.
Importantly, the project would utilise the existing Wadi Dayqah reservoir, with its approximately 100-million-cubic-metre capacity, potentially reducing construction costs and environmental impacts.
The initiative is strategically significant for Oman’s ambition to increase renewable electricity generation while strengthening grid flexibility, energy security and long-duration storage capabilities.