EDF Renewables and KOWEPO reach financial close for 500 MW Oman solar project

The Manah 1 solar project is estimated to supply power to over 50,000 Omani households.

A consortium by EDF Renewables and Korea Western Power Corporation (KOWEPO) has achieved a financial close on Manah 1, a 500-megawatt (MW) solar power plant in the Sultanate of Oman.

After the bid submission in September 2022, the consortium signed a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (PWP) on 23 March 2023.

Under the PPA, EDF and KOWEPO will plan, fund, construct, and manage the plant, which is projected to start commercial operations in Q1 2025. Several major French and Korean energy leaders contributed to the financing of the solar project.

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Located in the Al Dakhiliyah Governorate, south of Muscat, Manah 1 is the first for EDF Renewables and KOWEPO in the territory. It is one of the consortium’s goals to support the region’s net-zero plans and to contribute to Oman’s Clean Energy Goals of 35% to 39% renewable generation by 2040.

When operational, with over one million bifacial PVs, the solar power project is estimated to supply to over 50,000 Omani households with clean electricity and offset over 700,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.

“This first for the consortium large-scale renewable installation in the country is perfectly in line with the EDF Group commitment to triple the renewable energy net capacity in operation worldwide, between 2023 and 2030,” Olivier Bordes, CEO Middle East of EDF Renewables, shared of the consortium’s energy goals.