Oman maps 6 GW solar expansion for 2030-31

MUSCAT: As many as six mega solar Independent Power Projects (IPPs), with an aggregate capacity of around 6 GW, are envisaged to be brought into operation over the 2030–31 timeframe — an exponential jump designed to take the share of renewable energy to well over the nationally targeted 30 per cent mark.

According to details shared by Nama Power and Water Procurement Company (Nama PWP), the single buyer of electricity and water in the Sultanate of Oman, the six utility-scale solar PV schemes — provisionally branded Solar PV IPP I 2030, Solar PV IPP II 2030, Solar PV IPP III 2030, Solar PV IPP I 2031, Solar PV IPP II 2031 and Solar PV IPP III 2031 — will each boast a capacity of around 1,000 MW.

However, project capacities may be adjusted based on site allocation and the results of detailed resource assessments, Nama PWP said, adding that Scheduled Commercial Operation Dates (SCODs) will be finalised accordingly.

Citing policy direction issued by the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Nama PWP noted that national renewable-energy targets aim to achieve 30–40 per cent of total electricity generation by 2030, increasing to approximately 60–70 per cent by 2040.

“A key objective of this target is to release domestic gas committed to the power sector, making it available to stimulate industrial and economic development and contribute towards achieving Oman’s net-zero target by 2050. PWP has embraced this target and expects to reach 30 per cent renewable energy generation within the sector by 2030, as low costs are now driving renewable energy development on economic merits alone. Solar and wind projects are non-firm resources to the extent that their energy output is intermittent and non-dispatchable”, the procurer stated.

Nama PWP’s renewable energy pipeline for delivery through to 2030–31 envisions a total of 24 solar and wind projects, as well as a single waste-to-energy scheme. Of these projects, Dhofar Wind I, Ibri II Solar, Manah I Solar and Manah II Solar are currently in operation, while three others — Ibri III Solar, Dhofar Wind II and JBB Solar — are under implementation.

A number of renewable energy projects are scheduled to come on stream between 2027 and 2029. The Duqm II Wind IPP (300 MW) and Sadah Wind IPP (120 MW) are both targeted for commissioning in Q4 2027, alongside the Dhofar II Wind IPP (132 MW) in Q3 2027 and the Al Kamil Solar IPP (400 MW) in Q2 2027.

In early 2028, the Mahout Wind IPP — with a planned capacity of 800 MW — and the Marsa Solar IPP (280 MW) are expected to reach commercial operation in Q1 2028, followed by the Sinaw Solar IPP (400 MW) in Q2 2028.

Looking further ahead, Solar IPP 2029, a large-scale 1,000 MW project, is scheduled for Q1 2029, while a trio of wind projects — the Shaleem Wind IPP (100 MW), Al Jazir Wind IPP (100 MW) and Duqm III Wind IPP (300 MW) — are all slated for commissioning in Q2 2029.

An exponential 6 GW increase in renewable capacity — mainly solar-based utility schemes — is envisaged during 2030–31, lifting Oman’s total renewable capacity to 12,182 MW. Rounding off the list is a 95 MW waste-to-energy project scheduled to come into operation at Barka in 2031.