Construction will reportedly start on the 120 megawatt Jaalan Bani Bu Ali wind power plant in northeastern Oman in the third quarter of the year.
Preparatory works and mobilisation activities have commenced at the project site in Al Sharqiyah South governorate, 440km from the Port of Duqm, the Oman Observer reported, quoting Saba Jalan Wind Power CEO Yahya Al Rawahi.
The main construction phase will be executed by a consortium comprising East China Electric Power Design Institute, China Power Engineering Consulting Group International Engineering and China Energy Engineering Group Hunan Power Construction.
Saba Jalan Wind Power is owned by France’s EDF (49 percent), Al Khadra Partners (26 percent) and Oman state-backed OQ Alternative Energy (25 percent).
China-based Goldwind will supply wind turbines and blades, the report said.
In December the consortium signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with the state-owned off-taker Nama Power and Water Procurement Company. The wind power project is estimated to cost OMR51 million ($133 million).
In his most recent National Day speech, Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq called for renewable energy to be prioritised as the country works to diversify its economy.
In October state-owned Energy Development Oman secured a $1 billion loan to fund a planned expansion of its renewable energy operations.
Oman has set a target to be net zero for gas emissions by 2050 and aims to produce 30 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, reaching 100 percent clean energy capacity by 2050.


