MUSCAT: A 1,300-hectare site near the Wilayat of Haima in Al Wusta Governorate has been earmarked for the development of the 280 MW Marsa Solar PV project, whose renewable electricity will support the electrification of the Marsa LNG bunkering plant currently under construction at SOHAR Port and Freezone in the Sultanate of Oman.
OQ Group, which is participating in the development of both the LNG bunkering plant and the associated solar photovoltaic-based Independent Power Project (IPP) through its subsidiaries, confirmed the location in an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) published over the weekend. Sites in the Wilayat of Shinas (Al Batinah North Governorate) and Al Dakhiliyah Governorate had previously been identified as possible locations for the solar project.
Enabling the supply of renewable electricity from the Marsa Solar IPP near Haima to the Marsa LNG facility at SOHAR Port and Freezone — located roughly 500 km away — is Oman's newly launched Direct Sales framework, illustrating how renewable electricity generated hundreds of kilometres from its end user can help decarbonise major industrial projects.
Established under the Authority for Public Services Regulation's (APSR) Decision No 54/2026, the framework allows renewable energy producers to sell electricity directly to eligible consumers outside Oman's long-standing single-buyer procurement model.
The Marsa Solar IPP will be developed jointly by OQ Alternative Energy (OQAE) — part of the OQ Group — and TotalEnergies at a site located about 85 km southwest of Al Duqm. The project will occupy approximately 1,300 hectares of flat, arid desert terrain selected for its exceptional solar irradiance, low environmental sensitivity and distance from densely populated areas, making it ideally suited for utility-scale solar generation.
The solar facility will deploy bifacial monocrystalline photovoltaic modules mounted on single-axis trackers to maximise electricity generation throughout the day. In keeping with its sustainability objectives, it will also employ dry robotic cleaning technology, eliminating the need for water in routine panel maintenance — an important consideration in Oman's arid climate.
Beyond the solar arrays, the development will include internal access roads, operational buildings and grid connection infrastructure required to export electricity into the national transmission network.
Integrated Engineering & Technology (IET) has been appointed technical consultant for the project, while HMR Environmental Engineering Consultants is responsible for preparing the ESIA.
The Marsa Solar IPP will generate the electricity required by the 1 million-tonnes-per-annum Marsa LNG plant at SOHAR Port and Freezone, which is being developed by a consortium comprising TotalEnergies and OQ Exploration & Production (OQEP).
Rather than being connected directly to the LNG facility, the solar plant will export its electricity to the national grid, from which the Marsa LNG plant will draw its power. By retaining the renewable energy certificates associated with the solar generation, the project aims to achieve its ambition of operating as one of the world's first LNG bunkering facilities powered entirely by renewable electricity, supporting its carbon-neutral objectives.
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