Oman's first utility-scale wind farm starts op
CONSTRUCTION NEWS
Oman's maiden utility-scale wind farm — the Dhofar Wind Power Project — began generating electricity last week, heralding a new era in low-carbon, renewables-based power generation in the sultanate, a report said.
The Rural Areas Electricity Company (Tanweer) — part of Nama Group — announced that the commercial operation of the landmark project, located at Harweel in Dhofar Governorate, is expected in the coming months, said the
Oman Daily Observer report.
The 50 MW wind farm, comprising 13 towering wind turbines, was constructed by multinational conglomerate GE in partnership with Spain’s TSK under contracts awarded by renewable energy pioneer Masdar. Tanweer will oversee operation and management of the farm, which is also the first large-scale wind project in the Arabian Gulf region, when it is fully operational, the report said.
With the formal start-up of the Dhofar Wind Project, Oman’s ambitious grid-connected renewable energy programme has now entered the operational phase.
The Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) — the sole offtaker of output from power generation and water desalination projects — plans to procure at least 2,200 MW of renewables based electricity capacity by 2025 within the Main Interconnected System (MIS), serving the northern half of the Sultanate. Smaller wind-based schemes are envisioned in the Sharqiyah, Al Duqm and Dhofar zones, added the report.
