Oman to name solar consultant this mo - report

The Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) is expected to pick this month the consultant for a planned large-scale solar tender for up to 200 MW of capacity, the Times of Oman reports.

The daily cited Khalil Ibrahim Al Zeidi from the Public Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW) as saying that the consultant’s role will include price benchmarking, which will be key for the Omani government to decide whether to proceed with the tender, and support in the competitive process.

OPWP announced in October that it is seeking a consultant to provide “technical and economic advisory services” for a large-scale solar power project in the sultanate, without revealing capacity details. Al Zeidi told the Times of Oman, on the sidelines of the Arab-Indian Partnership Conference, that it would be a 100 MW-200 MW project.

The solar park will be built under the independent power producer (IPP) model, with a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA).

Bidding in recent tenders in the Middle East has resulted in some of the lowest rates for solar power globally. Abu Dhabi’s tender for a 350-MW photovoltaic (PV) park got on bid as low as USD 24.2 (EUR 23) per MWh, while Dubai made headlines in June with a USD-29.9-per-MWh offer in an 800-MW solar auction.

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