MUSCAT - The Oman Power and Water Procurement Company, the sole national buyer of output from the country’s power generation and water desalination projects, has announced a makeover of its brand identity to ‘Nama’ – the namesake of its parent holding company Nama Group.

The corporate rebrand to Nama Power and Water Procurement (Nama PWP) came on Thursday, on the sidelines of the signings of contract awards for the implementation of two new solar-based Independent Power Projects (IPPs) of a total capacity of around 1,000 MW at Manah in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate.

The rebranding also comes at a key stage in the power and water procurer’s role in accelerating the development of a private-led renewables-based power generation industry in the Sultanate of Oman aimed at meeting the nation’s goal of securing around 40 per cent of its energy requirements from sustainable sources by 2040.

"Our new brand identity reflects our commitment to sustainable development. We are committed to promoting the use of renewable energy in the Sultanate of Oman and ensuring the long-term energy security of the country along with contributing to the achievement of the Net-Zero target of the Sultanate of Oman," said Eng Yaqoob bin Saif al Kiyumi (pictured), CEO of Nama Power and Water Procurement, in a statement.

Over the course of the remainder of this decade, Nama PWP will oversee the procurement and implementation of a sizable portfolio of solar IPPs, which include a pair of 500 MW capacity schemes planned in Ibri (Ibri Solar III IPP) and potentially in Al Kamil in South Al Sharqiyah Governorate.

This is in addition to a flurry of wind-based IPPs of a total capacity of over 1,000 MW distributed across the governorates of North and South Sharqiyah, Al Wusta and Dhofar.

Furthermore, the state-run procurer – part of Nama Group – is also exploring the feasibility of establishing a Concentrated Solar Plant (CSP), a first-ever Waste-to-Energy venture in Barka, and options for energy storage as well.

Major CO2 emission savings

Total investment in the Manah solar scheme – comprising Manah I Solar IPP and Manah II Solar IPP each of 500 MW capacity – is about $800 million, according to Nama PWP. Together, the respective project developers will install in excess of 2 million solar photovoltaic panels covering an area of 14.5 14.5 million square meters.

Green energy output from the two side-by-side schemes will power around 120,000 homes and contribute to carbon emission reductions of over 1 million tonnes annually.

Manah I Solar IPP will be developed by the partnership of Korea Western Power (Kowepo), a leading electricity utility from South Korea, and French-based EDF-Renewables.

Present at the signing from the Korean side were Kowepo’s Vice President Kim Sung-kyun, South Korean Ambassador to Oman Kim Kiejoo, Dubai branch manager of the Export-Import Bank of Korea Lee Chul-gyu, and head of KOTRA Muscat Song Ji-young.

In a statement, Kowepo said Manah I Solar IPP will be developed with a total investment of $542 million, with construction work set to commence in November this year.

“(Korean) Western Power will also be responsible for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of the solar power plant after completion. The electricity to be produced over the next 20 years is guaranteed to be purchased by Nama PWP,” it said, adding that the project is slated for completion in March 2025.

Manah II Solar IPP, on the other hand, will be developed by a consortium led by Sembcorp Utilities, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sembcorp Industries from Singapore and Jinko Power Technology from the People's Republic of China.

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