MUSCAT: A pair of leading Dutch firms has unveiled a proposal for meeting the energy requirements of Masirah, the biggest island off Oman’s east coast, with a mix of renewables-based energy resources.
Dutch engineering and consultancy firm Witteveen+Bos, together with Van Oord, a leading global maritime contractor headquartered in the Netherlands, are behind an initiative, dubbed ‘Masirah Energy Gateway’ that envisages the supply of green electricity harnessed from tidal, wind and solar energy.
An overview of this globally unique initiative was presented during the CEO Business Roundtable held as part of the State Visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to the Netherlands last week.
Witteveen+Bos Managing Director Wouter Bijman described the proposed project as an ‘energy bridge’ spanning the 20km distance between Masirah Island and the Omani mainland.
“Every year, 2200 Gigawatt-hours of sustainable energy will be generated with a combination of tidal, wind and solar energy. This globally unique megaproject fits in seamlessly with the sustainability Vision Oman 2040; the electricity generated can also serve as an energy source in the production of green hydrogen,” Witteveen+Bos stated in a post.
Representatives of Witteveen+Bos were recently in Muscat as part of a contingent of Dutch firms participating in the just-concluded Oman Water Week 2025 forum. The consultancy firm is among a number of Dutch businesses currently engaged in strengthening Oman’s water sector as part of the Netherlands Water Partnership (NWP) initiative.
At a state dinner held in honour of His Majesty Sultan Haitham’s recent visit to the Netherlands, both countries highlighted their strategic partnership spanning a number of key areas, including green hydrogen and advanced water solutions. A joint communique issued at the conclusion of the visit also underlined the importance of cooperation in water technology, climate adaptation, and resilient infrastructure – areas that also represent the core strengths of Dutch technological expertise.
Significantly, Witteveen+Bos is also a member of the Oman Netherlands Strategic Taskforce which is overseeing the implementation of the Oman Netherlands Water Roadmap, which seeks to identify joint priorities for the next two years. Implementation is being done in close coordination with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Muscat, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, and Nama Water Services Group.
The proposed Masirah Energy Gateway, if and when approved for implementation, will complement a newly launched initiative by the Omani government to extend the country’s main electricity grid to Masirah Island via the installation of a first-ever undersea cable.
National grid operator Oman Electricity Transmission Company (OETC) is overseeing the implementation of the RO 72 million interconnection project, which aims to supplant diesel-powered electricity currently supplying the island, with gas-powered, and potentially even renewables powered, electricity from the mainland.
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