Oman has finally inaugurated the 500-MWac Ibri II Photovoltaic park. The solar park is located in the northwestern governorate of Al Dhahirah. In the same solar park almost OMR 155 million ($ 403.1m).
The solar park inaugural event was felicitated by Interior Minister, Sayyid Hamoud bin Faisal al Busaidi. The solar park will feed the power generated into the public grid with a power purchase agreement of 15 year with Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWPC).
This solar park can generate enough to power 33,000 homes at peak power. Because of the facility 3,40,000 tonnes of carbon can be stopped annually. Located around 300 km (186.4mi) west of the capital Muscat, Ibri-II is the second grid-connected renewable energy park in the Sultanate after the 50-MW Dhofar wind park that went online in 2019.
Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power own 50 per cent stake in the project and the rest 40 per cent and 10 per cent are owned by Gulf Investment Corporation and Alternative Energy Projects Co respectively.
The Ibri II project supports Oman Vision 2040 and represents a turning point for other renewable energy projects. OPWPC is currently working on two solar plants of a combined 1,000 MW in the Al Dakhiliyah governorate in addition to wind projects in the Ash Sharqiyah and Al Wusta governorates, OPWPC’s chief executive Yaqoob Saif al Kiyumi told state-owned Oman News Agency ONA.