For the past five years Oman has focused on tendering and developing renewable energy projects, following the 2019 start-up of its two most recent gas-fired power plants, 1.6GW Ibri and 1.7GW Sohar III (MEES, 7 June 2019). Capacity has edged up only slightly since, from 9.9GW to the current 10.3GW (9.7GW thermal 0.6GW renewable) as new renewable energy projects have been offset by the retirement of old thermal power plants.
Strong forecast power demand growth in the near term means that peak load is set to catch up with capacity as soon as 2026. In an effort to keep on top of climbing power demand, Muscat has started to focus again on its gas-fired fleet. During the summer, state offtaker Nama Power and Water Procurement (Nama PWP) extended the contracts for existing power plants out to the end of the decade and restarted the previously mothballed 412MW Barka I (MEES, 28 June). (CONTINUED - 703 WORDS)
