A consortium comprising French power utility EDF Renewables and Korea Western Power (Kowepco) have broken ground on Oman’s 500 MW Manah solar plant, according to a statement. The solar plant will cost USD 458 mn, with commercial operations commencing by March 2025. Under the agreement reached with the consortium in March, Oman’s Power and Water Procurement Company will purchase the electricity generated under a 20-year power purchase agreement.

And that’s not all: EDF Renewables and Kowepco have also selected Australian engineering services firm Worley as owner engineer for the project. The Australian firm will partner with Wadi Noor Solar Power Company to deliver the facility in a timely manner, according to the statement.

Background: Manah 1 is one half of a larger project by OPWP to build a solar plant with a combined capacity of 1 GW. The combined cost of Manah 1 and Manah 2 will amount to over OMR 300 mn (c. USD 780 mn) and will be the largest in the sultanate. A JV made up of Singapore’s Sembcorp Utilities and China’s Jinko Power were selected to develop the Manah 2 solar plant in March.