Abu Dhabi-based Masdar has announced the installation of the first turbine at the 50MW Dhofar wind project in Oman.
The Dhofar Wind Farm is expected to become operational by the third quarter of 2019. It will supply 7% of the Dhofar governorate’s electricity demand.
Once complete, the wind farm will be handed over to the Rural Areas Electricity Company of Oman (TANWEER).
TANWEER will then operate the plant and supply the generated electricity to the local Dhofar power grid through an overhead power line managed by the Oman Electricity Transmission Company.
The Oman Power and Water Procurement Company will offtake the generated electricity from TANWEER in line with a power purchase agreement signed in September 2017.
The project is fully financed by Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), the leading national entity for international development aid.
The project follows an agreement signed in 2014 between Masdar and A Masdar-led consortium including GE and Spain’s TSK is developing the Gulf region’s first large-scale commercial wind farm.
GE is providing the project’s 3.8 MW wind turbines, while TSK is responsible for the rest of the wind farm’s infrastructure, which includes medium- and high-voltage substations and 13km of overhead transmission lines.
TANWEER chief executive Eng Saleh Bin Nasser Al Rumhi said: “We are looking forward to the implementation of this initiative, which will be the first large-scale renewables project in Oman.
“Our team has worked closely with all the participants to bring this technology to the Sultanate and to ensure knowledge transfer in the country. TANWEER’s mandate is to supply electricity to large areas of Oman, and this project fits well with our expertise and ambition.”
Masdar chief executive Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi said: “As a global leader in wind energy technology, we are proud to support the Sultanate of Oman in the realisation of its renewable energy ambitions, and deeply committed to our partnership with Abu Dhabi Fund for Development and the world-class consortium delivering this milestone wind energy project on schedule and to the highest operational standard.”