MUSCAT, APRIL 25
Having made its debut in Oman’s energy infrastructure space as the EPC contractor for the recently launched 500 MW Manah-1 solar power project, Chinese power engineering and manufacturing giant Shanghai Electric is now gearing up to deepen its presence in the Sultanate of Oman through its wind turbine manufacturing arm.
Shanghai Electric Wind Power Group Co Ltd, ranked among China’s Top 5 wind turbine manufacturers, is a technical partner in the establishment of Oman’s first wind turbine production facility in Al Duqm. The principal investor in the $200 million venture is Oman-based Mawarid Turbine, which recently signed agreements with both Shanghai Electric and OQ Group for the development of a groundbreaking facility with an annual capacity of 1 GW at the SEZ.
While the plant’s capacity is significant, it will nonetheless meet only a small fraction of Oman’s vast demand for wind turbines and other essential equipment required to achieve the country’s renewable energy generation and green hydrogen production targets.
Hydrom, the architect of Oman’s green hydrogen industry, estimates the need for around 2000–3000 wind turbines, alongside a staggering 40 million solar panels, to generate the volumes of green electricity necessary to achieve the green hydrogen production target of 1.4 million tonnes per annum by 2030.
Not included in this tally is the requirement of several hundred turbines that will be necessary to build out wind farms currently being procured for implementation by Nama Power and Water Procurement Co (PWP). As many as five wind farms, with an aggregate capacity of over 1 GW, are planned for launch in various parts of the country by early 2028. Additionally, the partnership of OQ Alternative Energy and TotalEnergies is developing two wind farms for Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) with a combined capacity of 200 MW.
Although not all of Oman’s current wind turbine demand is a captive market for the new Mawarid Turbine project, the imbalance between domestic production capacity and market demand highlights significant opportunities for investment in local manufacturing across the renewable energy value chain.
Shanghai Electric Wind Power, for its part, has pledged to support Oman’s localisation goals in terms of its wind turbine manufacturing capacity needs. Wu Lei, Chairman — Shanghai Electric Group, commented in a statement: "The Omani government's forward-looking Oman Vision 2040 and Green Hydrogen Strategy align with Shanghai Electric's strategic development goals. We are eager to use this project as an opportunity to integrate advanced technologies and high-quality products in the new energy sector with Oman's resource strengths and market potential. Through technology licensing and localised supply chain development, we aim to drive the implementation of more high-quality projects, contribute to Oman's energy transformation and help shape a new chapter in China-Arab energy cooperation."
Established in 2006, Shanghai Electric manufactures a diverse range of wind turbines, catering to both onshore and offshore applications. Capacities range from 1.25 MW to 5 MW for onshore wind turbines and 3.6 MW to 11 MW for offshore turbines. The company operates a network of 12 manufacturing plans distributed across China, with around six R&D centres located in China and elsewhere around the world. Total capacity of wind turbines installed by the company around the world aggregates over 11 GW.
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