Oman Power and Water Procurement Co. (OPWP) has launched a tender to select independent power producers to build a 500 MW solar park.

Such installations consist of hundreds of thousands of ground mounted solar panels that absorb energy from the sun, generate an electric current and distribute that power on high-voltage power lines. The electricity travels along those power lines to the electricity grid, eventually making its way to your home.  

The Ibri III Solar IPP Project will be built in Ibri, a city in the governorate of Ad Dhahirah, in northwestern Oman. It will be commissioned by the fourth quarter of 2026. Interested developers have until Dec. 7 to submit their bids.

The project is the fourth 500 MW solar plant to be tendered by OPWP. Only one is currently online – the 500MW Ibri 2 solar project, which was inauguratedin January after a 13-month construction period.

All of the projects are part of the Omani government’s plan to add around 4 GW of renewables capacity by 2030. Beyond utility-scale project development, the target will be supported by the country's new regulation for rooftop PV, which was announced in 2018.