Oman invites bids for 1GW-plus Manah solar projects

OPWP has issued the request for proposals (RFP) for the planned Manah 1 and 2 solar IPPs, which will each have a capacity of 500MW-600MW. The client has stipulated that a different bidder will be selected for each project.
Oman Power & Water Procurement Company (OPWP) has issued the request for proposal (RFP) for the planned Manah 1 and 2 photovoltaic (PV) solar independent power producer (IPP) projects, which will each have a capacity of 500-600MW.
The client has set a bid deadline of 7 December and has stipulated that each project will be awarded to a separate bidder.
Energy & Utilities reported in June that OPWP was planning to proceed with the tender in July, after the scheme had been delayed for a number of months as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak and the financial impact of the pandemic.
OPWP prequalified nine international consortiums to prequalify for the 500-600MW Manah 1 and Manah 2 PV IPPs in December last year.
The following nine groups were prequalified to participate in the tender process for the Manah 1 and 2 IPP projects:
• Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar), EDF Renewables (France)
• Acwa Power (Saudi Arabia)
• Eni (Italy), SB Energy (Japan)
• Jinko Power (China)
• Korea Western Power Company (South Korea), Hanyang Corporation (South Korea), Solar Reserve (US), Nafath Renewable Energy (Oman)
• Marubeni Corporation (Japan)
• Power Construction Corporation of China
• Tag Energy, Al-Shanfari Group (Oman)
• Total Solar International (France)
The PV solar plants will be developed at Manah, 150km southwest of the capital Muscat. US/Indian Synergy Consulting has been appointed as financial adviser by OPWP, with DLA Piper providing legal advisory services and Germany's Fichtner providing technical advisory services.
Oman's government is planning for renewable energy to contribute 10 per cent of the country's total generating capacity in the main interconnected system by 2025.
The first 500MW is due to come online in 2022. A consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power is developing the Ibri 2 IPP project, having signed the final project agreements in May last year.
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