Oman to connect 12 key energy projects to national grid

Energy intensive projects span crypto-mining, industrial, oil and gas, mining and power sectors; connectivity pegged for 2027 to accommodate >1,600 MW of power demand 

Oman Electricity Transmission Company (OETC) has announced plans to connect 12 high-profile energy projects to the national grid by 2027, with collective power demand of more than 1,600 megawatts once fully operational. 

The details were shared in the company’s Annual Transmission Capability Statement (2024 – 2028), which listed a total of 41 transmission projects at various stages of development within the Main Interconnected System (MIS) and Dhofar System (DTS). 

The dozen highlighted projects span the crypto-mining, industrial, oil and gas, mining and power sectors with the largest, United Solar Polysilicon, currently under construction in Sohar Freezone. The US$1.35 billion project is expected to require up to 800 megawatts once peak operation is reached, with connectivity pegged for 2025..

Other key projects set to be grid connected include three in Sohar Freezone: United Projects Achievements’ cloud data centre (100 megawatts); Sohar Titanium’s titanium dioxide plant (77 megawatts); and a 24-megawatt captive generation facility for calcinated petcoke for Sanvira Carbon. In addition, Mawarid Mining’s 15-megawatt copper mining hub located at Al Ghuzayn in Al Khabourah Wilayat and Oman Cement’s expansion project (80 megawatts) will also significantly increase electricity demand across the Sultanate.

Earlier in Q2 2024, OETC announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with a number of ‘leading’ (unnamed) UAE organisations, in partnership with several Omani power and energy institutions. 

The bilateral alliance aims to bolster cooperation and drive sustainable development between the two GCC countries and was signed on the sidelines of an Omani trade delegation visit to the UAE. It will enable the commencement of feasibility studies to explore projects and identify the necessary investment in the areas of renewable energy, green steel, and aluminium. 

Oman is targeting 30 per cent of power consumption from renewable energy sources by 2030. According to OETC, in 2023 rising energy consumption across the Sultanate saw peak demand of 7,303 megawatts for the Main Interconnected System, up 7.4 per cent on the previous year. Significant increases were also recorded for the Dhofar System where gross peak demand exceeded 672 megawatts (+4.7 per cent year-on-year), with the Musandam System logging 85.6 megawatts (+6.7 per cent year-on-year).

*Image Credit: BBC