Oman weighs Concentrated Solar Power project at Duqm

Oman weighs Concentrated Solar Power project at Duqm

A first-of-its-kind Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project is envisioned for development near Duqm in Al Wusta Governorate as part of Oman’s pivot away from gas-powered electricity generation to renewables-based sources.

The initiative, subject to the findings of a feasibility study, will add to a mixed portfolio of renewable resources and technologies being explored by the Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) – the sole national buyer of power and water output – to help achieve Oman’s targets for the decarbonisation of the power generation sector. Those targets prescribe a minimum 35 – 39 per cent share of national electricity supply coming from renewables by the year 2040.

CSP technology complements solar photovoltaic (PV) technology of the kind that’s in use at Oman’s first large-scale grid-connected 500 MWp solar power plant in operation at Ibri in Al Dhahirah Governorate. The one-million odd solar panels installed at site convert sunlight into electricity, which is then channeled into the national grid.

In the case of CSP technology, however, mirrors arrayed in concentric circles reflect solar radiation on to a centrally located thermal receiver, with the heat captured and stored by a fluid to power a turbine to generate electricity. As the liquid can absorb and