Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), the largest producer of Oil & Gas in Oman plans to establish a new utility-scale solar-based power plant and a battery storage facility in the northern portion of Block 6 concession in the Sultanate of Oman.
After the successful launch in 2020 of its 105 MW Amin Renewable Energy Plant, the proposed Independent Power Project will be the second in PDO’s concession. The Amin project was approved as an IPP and also received carbon credit registration from the European Union. This will allow PDO to continue its energy transition efforts.
“PDO is now considering the development of a second 100-MW solar storage IPP plant. The facility would have the option of an additional 30-MW battery storage system charged by an additional solar capacity to maintain PDO grid stability and safeguard power distribution,” the majority government-owned energy company said.
“It would be monitored by the Yibal Central Power Control Centre with energy produced from the PV plant dispatched into the company’s transmission system at 132kV via the existing Saih Nihayda Depletion Compression Substation,” the report further noted.
“All six sites showed strong potential and legal and technical proposal documents are being drawn up for the first project, titled Riyah 1. Soil, topographical and logistics surveys are to be completed before the contracting strategy is finalised and tenders sought. The aim is to commission the first PDO wind farm by Q1 2024,” said PDO.
A number of small-scale, solar photovoltaic-based initiatives are also in the works. These include ground-mounted and solar rooftop systems that can be installed in Mina Al Fahal as well as the Ras Al Hamra complex.
The green energy investments align with PDO’s commitment to becoming a net-zero emissions company by 2050. PDO has committed to supporting this goal by embracing energy transition objectives, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its oil and gas operations, developing alternative GHG sinks for residual emissions, and pursuing energy efficiency measures, particularly around artificial lifting and water management, that account for half of the energy it uses.
Additionally, PDO, as a member in good standing of the National Hydrogen Alliance (Hy-Fly), supports efforts to create a hydrogen supply network for clean fuel industries.
“We are now playing an active role in this enterprise and the immediate goal is to produce green hydrogen at a megawatt scale via water electrolysis for two main applications: the injection of H2 into the gas grid to minimise natural gas consumption; and the replacement of conventional heavy-duty vehicles (in the mid-long term) with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles,” the company added.
