Tanweer, Oman’s Rural Areas Electricity Company, is set to award the contract for the development of 11 small-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) diesel hybrid projects in Oman, for implementing an independent power project.
Tanweer, a subsidiary of The Electricity Holding Company (Nama Group), said the project will be developed on a build-own-operate-transfer (Boot) model. All 11 sites will be tendered to a single applicant, and prequalified applicants must submit a bid for all sites, said a senior official from Tanweer.
According to a report in Oman Observer last week, 14 firms/consortiums have prequalified to participate in the next round of competitive tender, which are EDF Renewables with Petroleum Development Oman and Alawi; Alfanar; Voltalia; Fotowatio Renewable Ventures with Aggreko; Total Solar with Altaaqa; Scatec Solar; Mainstream Renewable Power with Tesla and FG Wilson; Engie with Multitech; Mytilineos; Jinko Solar; Bahwan Renewable Energy with Canadian Solar; Wartsila with MB Holding and Arket International; Shell with Entertech, Enerwhere and HTC and NTPC Limited.
Engineer Abdullah Sabil Al Balushi, a senior renewable energy engineer for Tanweer said that they will sign an initial power purchase agreement (PPA) with the successful developer for a period of 15 years. The successful bidder will also be responsible for the financing, operation, maintenance and despatch of the complete hybrid system, he added.
Al Balushi also stated that an RfP is expected to be issued to the prequalified bidders next week with site-visits planned next month. The successful developer will install a total of 48 megawatts-peak (MWp) of solar PV capacity, in addition to 70 MW of diesel generation capacity while a battery energy storage systems (BESS) offering a total capacity of 28 MW will be installed at the various locations, he concluded.