Oman Shell announced on Tuesday the launch of the 25-megawatt (MW) Sohar Solar Qabas, the company's first utility scale, photovoltaic (PV) solar project in the Middle East and Oman.

The plant, located on a 50-hectare site within Sohar Freezone, will supply electricity to a large ferrochrome production facility, displacing the equivalent gas-fired power generation taken from the grid and avoiding more than 25,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, according to Oman Shell's press statement

The company said the project, consists of over 88,000 photovoltaic solar modules was accomplished despite unprecedented challenges created by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Walid Hadi, Oman Shell's VP & Country Chairman said: "This is an incredible project and the first of its kind for Shell in the Middle East and in Oman, while being in line with our ambition to become a net-zero emission energy business by 2050 or sooner. I thank the Omani government, particularly the Sohar Port and Freezone, for their collaboration and support on a project with potential for long-lasting economic value for the Sultanate."

Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidi, Chairman of The Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ) said the project "aligns with Oman Vision 2040" and is the first step in OPAZ's plan for solar projects equating to one gigawatt in Sohar.

He added that the project would free up natural gas for other industrial uses.

(Writing by Syed Ameen Kader; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@refinitiv.com)

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