A’Namaa Poultry SAOC — the Sultanate’s largest poultry farming venture spearheaded by the Omani government in support of the nation’s food security objectives —has invited international developers to bid for a mandate to supply clean energy for its Ibri project through investments in a solar farm. Separately, the company is also investing in a bioenergy plant to generate electricity from the massive amounts of manure that will be produced by the poultry project
The initiatives are in line with a broader effort by major public and public sector organisations, as well as government institutions in the Sultanate, to harness renewable energy resources to support their energy needs. As a government-backed enterprise, A’Namaa’s initiative is also expected to spur other public sector organisations to pursue renewable energy options and thereby reduce their dependence on state-subsidised electricity supply.
A’Namaa is currently investing an estimated RO 100 million in the establishment of a world-scale integrated poultry farm with a capacity to produce around 60,000 metric tonnes per annum of white meat for domestic and export markets. The giant venture is coming up on a 58 sq km site at Ibri in Al Dhahirah Governorate. Integrated with the project is a 70 million eggs per annum hatchery, as well as 240 broiler houses, a pair of processing plants and a 50 tonnes/hour feed mill.
In place of a 16 MW conventional-fuel based power station initially envisioned for inclusion in the project, A’Namaa is now looking at renewable sources to meet its electricity requirements. The company has invited qualified developers to submit proposals for the development of a 15 MW solar farm on a build — own — transfer (BOT) basis with a commitment to offtake the plant’s electricity output for a 20-25 year period.
Separately, A’Namaa has invited offers from qualified contractors for the supply, installation and operation of a biomass gasification system that will generate electricity from the copious quantities of manure collected from the poultry project. Manure production is estimated at 200 metric tonnes per day, which will serve as basic feedstock for the bioenergy scheme proposed to be installed at the complex. The biomass system will have a capacity generate 6.3 MWp of electricity based on the waste-to-energy principle.
A’Namaa Poultry is slated to come into operation before the end of 2021.
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