500MW Oman's first solar electricity plant in Ibri by 2021

Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP), member Namaa Group, has announced the launch of the first independent electricity production project using solar energy in the Sultanate. The project is estimated to cost  $500million and will be built, owned and operated by the private sector. The 500MW power plant that will come up in Ibri, 300km West of Muscat will cater to around 33,000 homes with electricity and reduce the carbon dioxide emissions by 340,000 tons per year. The contracts for the the project will be awarded in Q4 2018 and the project will be operational by the beginning of 2021. This project is the first in the series of renewable energy projects that OPWP plans to develop over the next few years to support the sustainability strategy in the country. The company also plans to set up a 50-60mw plant that will generate power from waste, the tender for which will be floated in2018.