Dhofar Wind Farm has achieved a major milestone by producing its first kilowatt hour of electricity after the project’s first wind turbine was connected to the Sultanate’s electricity grid last week. The remaining 12 wind turbines will come online by end of 2019.
The 50-megawatt (MW) Dhofar Wind farm has the distinction of being GCC region’s first utility-scale wind farm, which is fully funded by Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) and is being implemented by Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) through an EPC consortium of GE Renewable Energy and Spain’s TSK.
When it becomes fully operational the wind farm is expected to generate electricity for 16,000 homes (equal to 7% of Dhofar’s total power demand) It is expected to offset an estimated 110,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, while reducing reliance on natural gas for domestic power generation.
Rural Areas Electricity Company of Oman (Tanweer) will be responsible for operating the wind power plant upon completion and will be selling the generated power to The Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP)
READ: Oman’s Wind Energy Project – Change is in the Air
According to Mohammed Saif al Suwaidi, Director General of ADFD, bring the wind farm online was yet another milestone in their 48-year development funding journey. “Aimed at helping to achieve SDG 7 — Affordable and Clean Energy — this strategic venture also contributes to enhancing Oman’s energy output, while creating job opportunities and bolstering sustainable economic development in the country,” he said.
Mohamed Jameel al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar expressed pride over having developed the first utility-scale wind farm in the GCC. “The successful connection of the first wind turbine to the electricity transmission grid at the Dhofar Wind Farm is a major step for Oman and the country’s ambitions to diversify its energy mix to include renewables,” he was quoted as saying.
