Omani water project to begin receiving green power from early 2023

Sharqiyah Desalination Company, which operates a major Independent Water Project (IWP) at Sur in South Al Sharqiyah Governorate, says a solar photovoltaic (PV) project currently under development at the project site, will begin providing green electricity for the plant effective from early next year.

Sebastien Chauvin, Chairman of publicly-listed Sharqiyah Desalination, said in the company’s third-quarter financial report, that the solar PV scheme would meet a third of the plant’s energy needs.

“The company has signed an agreement with TotalEnergies, to start the construction of a 17 megawatt-peak (MWp) solar project to be installed at the Plant which will be the first of its kind to be installed in the Sultanate and one of the largest solar photovoltaic (PV) systems providing power for a desalination plant in the region,” said Chauvin.

“Starting from the beginning of 2023, the plant will produce annually over 30,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of green electricity, which is enough to cover more than 33 per cent of the plant’s daily consumption and will avoid some 280 000 tons of CO2 emissions. It also contributes to Oman’s National Energy Strategy to convert 30 per cent of its electricity use to renewable sources by 2030,” he further stated.

The comments follow an announcement made recently by French-based international water and environmental services giant Veolia (which has a 35.75 per cent stake in Sharqiyah Desalination through its regional subsidiary) that it is partnering with energy major TotalEnergies in the construction of the solar PV scheme to support the water plant’s energy needs.

Covering an area of 130,000 sq metres, the solar PV plant will feature over 32,000 high-efficiency panels that will also harness the capabilities of an innovative East-West tracker system to increase energy output.

The Sur IWP, launched in 2007 with a desalination capacity of 115,000 cubic metres per day, currently meets the potable water needs of an estimated half a million inhabitants of North and South Sharqiyah governorates. Raw seawater as feedstock for the plant is sourced from a cluster of beach wells, which together constitute the largest of its kind in the world.

By reducing its dependence on fossil fuel-based electricity for its power needs, the IWP is not only set to slash its carbon footprint, but also enhance its value proposition as an environment-friendly desalination plant, say officials.