Vast areas identified for renewables in North Oman

MUSCAT: Expansive tracts of land with rich potential for renewables development have been identified in key parts of north Oman, according to details shared during the just concluded ‘Forum on Sustainable and Low Carbon Aviation Fuel’, organised by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of the Sultanate of Oman.

Spanning a total area of around 7,830 km2 in the governorates of Al Dhahirah, Al Dakhiliyah and South Al Sharqiyah, this acreage supplements an estimated 50,000 km2 of land blocks identified for green hydrogen development in the central and southern parts of Oman over the next three decades.

Presenting on the theme ‘Oman Energy Transition and Renewable Energy Projects’, Eng Riyadh al Busaidy of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals affirmed the Omani government’s commitment to decarbonising the power generation sector by ramping up renewable energy projects.

“By changing the old concepts of electricity generation, while increasing renewable energy development, we are reducing (greenhouse) gas emissions into the atmosphere. This is in alignment with our Net Zero target of 2050,” he said, while also stressing a commitment to developing a low-carbon economy for Oman.

By leveraging its optimal solar and wind intensity characteristics, Oman is committed to meeting its target of securing at least 30 per cent of its electricity requirements from clean energy resources by 2030, said Al Busaidy.

Solar radiation average between 2,000 – 2,500 kilowatt-hours per square metre (KWh/m2), while wind speeds average between 8 – 10 metres/second in different parts of the country – conditions that augur well for large-scale renewables development. Further, Oman enjoys clear weather for an average of 342 days in a year, he said.

Targeted for renewables development with the ultimate goal to support the production of low-emission energy fuels (such as green hydrogen) are three massive tracts of land: Al Jazer (Dhofar Governorate) – 25,700 km2, Salalah (Dhofar) – 7,910 km2, and Duqm (Al Wusta) – 15,930 km2. Their allocation for green hydrogen development is being overseen by Hydrogen Oman (Hydrom), the orchestrator and master-planner of this new industry, through a phased programme of auctions of land blocks.

However, to achieve the goal of enhancing renewables-based electricity generation by 2030, a sizable portfolio of solar and wind based schemes is being prepped for procurement over the coming years, said Al Busaidy. This is in addition to a 500 MW solar PV project already in operation at Ibri, and a pair of solar PV schemes currently under construction at Manah with a combined capacity of 1,000 MW.

While Manah I and Manah II Solar projects are slated to be operational by 2025, three new wind-power projects are planned to come on stream by 2027. They are the: 100 MW wind farm in South Al Sharqiyah Governorate; 200 MW Duqm wind project, and 200 MW Ras Madrakah scheme as well. Also lined up for launch in 2027 is a 500 MW solar farm in Ibri in Al Dhahirah Governorate.

Rounding off the list of renewables based projects over this timeframe is a Waste-to-Energy plant at Barka with a capacity of around 140 MW. This first-ever venture will be operational by 2028, he added.