MUSCAT, JUNE 29
MUSCAT: Oman's newly launched Imtidad community solar programme is creating new business opportunities for local renewable energy companies and manufacturers as the Sultanate expands the use of clean electricity while encouraging greater participation by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Launched last week by the Authority for Public Services Regulation (APSR), in partnership with Nama Group and licenced electricity companies, the programme allows households and businesses to benefit from solar energy without installing panels on their own properties. Instead, subscribers purchase shares in grid-connected community solar stations and receive credits on their electricity bills based on the electricity generated.
The initiative has also brought together several Omani companies across the renewable energy value chain, highlighting the growing capabilities of local firms in engineering, manufacturing and clean energy solutions.
Green Universe Enterprise (GUE), an Omani SME, was selected through a competitive tender conducted by Nama Distribution Company to deliver the first phase of the project. Sumaya Al Rawahi, CEO - GUE said the company met both the technical and commercial requirements of the evaluation, adding that the tender was designed to be executed by an Omani SME.
According to Al Rawahi, the wider Imtidad programme is a government-led community initiative targeting schools, hospitals, homes and other government entities, with the aim of extending renewable generation across the community.
Omani manufacturer Voltamp Energy also participated in the project by supplying the specialised inverter-duty transformers that connect the solar plant to the electricity network. Issa al Maskari, Business Development Manager for the US and EMEA at Voltamp Energy, said the transformers were built to operate for 25 to 30 years in harsh environmental conditions, provided they were properly maintained.
“We are confident our transformers should seamlessly perform on the grid at 30 years with no catastrophic failures,” he said, adding that service life could extend beyond 50 years with regular maintenance.
Muscat-based Nafath Renewable Energy is among the local companies that will be competing in the upcoming projects under the Imtidad programme. Nasr al Nasseri, Business Development Officer at Nafath said: “Nafath handled projects end to end, beginning with a comprehensive feasibility study before moving through design, execution, commissioning and maintenance. Each installation is linked to a monitoring system that tracks daily, monthly and annual output and lets clients view real-time performance data.”
The Imtidad model is designed to broaden participation in renewable energy by allowing consumers to benefit from solar generation without owning or maintaining the infrastructure themselves. APSR says the approach will help maximise underutilised land, reduce electricity costs for participants and support the Sultanate's clean energy transition under Oman Vision 2040.
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