MUSCAT: A submarine cable proposed to link Masirah Island with the national grid of the Sultanate of Oman is not only the first of its kind, but will also be technologically cutting-edge, according to Oman Electricity Transmission Company (OETC), the operator of the grid. Contact online >>
MUSCAT: A submarine cable proposed to link Masirah Island with the national grid of the Sultanate of Oman is not only the first of its kind, but will also be technologically cutting-edge, according to Oman Electricity Transmission Company (OETC), the operator of the grid.
A number of international contractors are currently participating in a competitive tender for a contract to lay the cable, which will enable the supply of cost-competitive natural gas-powered electricity to the island, thereby displacing expensive and carbon-intensive diesel-based generation used to power the island.
Work on the landmark project – the most notable of OETC''s strategic investments planned this year, aside from the ongoing North-South Interconnection Project (Rabt) – will be launched during 2024, the majority state-owned grid operator said.
"OETC is set to embark on a historic project in the Sultanate of Oman. This project aligns with Oman''s Vision 2040 that aims to achieve carbon neutrality by marking a significant step towards reducing carbon emissions," OETC noted in its 2023 Annual Report issued earlier this week.
"The key project involves linking the island of Masirah to OETC''s Transmission Network through a 35-kilometre submarine cable with a voltage of 132 kilovolts and 60 kilometres of overhead power transmission lines. The connection will extend from the Mahout substation at 400/132kV kilovolts to the Masirah 132/33kV grid station. This project includes a unique technological component in the form of the submarine cable, which employs complex and highly critical technologies," the company further stated.
OETC has been ploughing sizable sums into the expansion and modernization of the country''s transmission system in recent years, in part to support Oman''s transition to renewables, as well as the achievement of its Net Zero goals.
In 2023 alone, the company invested around RO 200 million in a number of strategic projects. The bulk of this investment has gone into the construction of Phase 1 of the North-South Interconnection Project (Rabt). As many as five major grid stations were launched as part of the initiative in 2023, alongside the roll-out of 660 kilometres of overhead transmission lines.
"The projects completed in 2023 had a combined cost of roughly RO 197 million. They improve the transmission grid in line with the operational and strategic plan. They were established to ensure that the system has the capacity and readiness to handle the rising demand for electricity throughout Oman," the company stated in its report.
Also in 2023, OETC successfully completed all the required tests to remotely control generation at the Ibri Solar IPP – the first major solar power project to be connected to the national grid. It was also the first renewable energy plant to be controlled remotely from OETC''s Load Despatch Centre in Muscat.
Another key project that was delivered last year was the Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC), a first of its kind facility that integrates cyber security monitoring systems with operational and information technologies.
Finally, an Online Condition Monitoring (OLCM) system was launched to monitor the company''s assets remotely. The initiative is expected to make a quantum leap in monitoring and improving the health of OETC''s assets, it added.
MUSCAT : Oman Electricity Transmission Company (OETC), which owns and operates the country''s transmission system, says it has successfully completed the first phase of its North-South Interconnection Project (Rabt), a landmark initiative to link Oman''s two standalone grids into one integrated national network.
The majority state-owned utility, part of Nama Group, announced in a post on Monday that the first phase – encompassing five major grid stations linked by overhead transmission lines spanning a total distance of 670 km – is now fully in place and operating at voltages of up to 400 KV.
With the achievement of this milestone, the Main Interconnected System (MIS) serving the northern half of Oman grid now extends from Nihada in Al Dhahirah Governorate all the way to Duqm Special Economic Zone in Al Wusta Governorate. Also as part of this phase, the isolated networks of Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and the Rural Areas Electricity Company (Tanweer) in Duqm SEZ, have been interconnected.
Underscoring the challenges of delivering the first phase, OETC said the transmission network spans diverse landscapes ranging from rugged hilly terrain and lofty plateaus to plunging wadis and desert expanses.
Constructed at intervals along the length of the transmission system are major grid stations at Nihada, Barik, Suwaihat, Duqm and Mahout. Built at a cost of around RO 25 million apiece, these grid stations are equipped with transformers of a capacity of 500 MVA and form the backbone of the network. The last of these grid stations, constructed at the Duqm SEZ, was brought into operation in September, according to OETC.
With the completion of Phase 1, OETC is preparing to gear up to launch the second phase of the project, tentatively before the end of this year. In this phase, 400kV transmission lines will run from Duqm further south for a distance of about 502 kilometres to link up with the existing Dhofar System.
As a strategic national initiative, the Rabt project will unlock benefits that go far beyond the obvious advantages offered by the interconnection of Oman''s standalone networks into a national grid.
Interconnection will pave the way for vast areas of Al Wusta Governorate, which are deemed optimal for solar and wind power projects, to be developed as part of the country''s future green energy ambitions.
Energy efficiency and security of supply are added advantages as well. Besides integrating far-flung Haima and Mahout in Al Wusta Governorate into the national grid, the interconnected system will also strengthen electricity supply to PDO areas, currently served by a 132kV network. Additionally, the project will reduce PDO''s dependence on gas-fired power generation for its electricity needs.
MUSCAT: Electricity supply from Oman''s modest, but burgeoning, renewable energy sector increased during 2023 in line with a commitment by Oman Electricity Transmission Company (OETC), the operator of the country''s transmission grid, to prioritise despatch from clean energy generation over conventional gas-based output.
According to OETC CEO Saleh Nasser al Rumhi, the landmark interconnection project ''Rabt'', currently advancing southward to Salalah from Duqm SEZ, will open up vast areas of the country for investment in renewable energy projects, in turn accelerating the uptake and despatch of clean via the national grid.
"We () bolstered the flow of clean and renewable energy units through our network from the Ibri Solar at a growth rate exceeding 76,825 megawatt-hours (MWH) compared to 2022, and the Dhofar Wind Farm with an increase of over 7,142 MWH," Al Rumhi stated in the CEO''s Message featured in OETC''s newly published 2023 Annual Report.
Oman presently has only two utility-scale, grid-connected renewable energy projects in operation: a 50MW capacity wind farm at Harweel in Dhofar, and a 500MW capacity solar PV scheme at Ibri (also known as Ibri II Solar IPP) in Al Dhahirah Governorate.
However, over the course of the next six years, around 1.5 GW of solar projects along with 1 GW of wind capacity are being prepped for development at key locations around the country. This is in line with the government''s commitment to securing at least 30% of the country''s energy requirements from renewables by 2030.
Critical to this objective is the Rabt Interconnection project – a strategic initiative to integrate the country''s standalone grids in the north and south. Phase 1 of the project, which extends the North Oman grid to Duqm SEZ, was brought into operation late last year with a capital investment of RO 183 million. The second phase, work on which was launched earlier this year with an investment of RO 257 million, will integrate the Dhofar System into the national grid.
With the establishment of a modern, high-capacity interconnected transmission system, future renewable projects planned in far-flung parts of Oman will be connected to the national grid, OETC stressed in its report.
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