Oman Power & Water Procurement Company (OPWP) has invited developers to prequalify for its planned 1,200MW coal-fired independent power project (IPP).

Developers have until 7 June to submit prequalification entries for the planned utilities plant.

MEED reported in November that OPWP had appointed an advisory team for the planned coal project. The utility company has appointed the UK’s EY (Ernst & Young) as financial adviser, Finland’s Poyry as technical adviser and the UK’s Gowling WLG as legal adviser.

If the project goes ahead, it will be Oman’s first coal-fired power plant. OPWP had previously considered developing coal-fired power plants in the sultanate. In 2009, an advisory team of WorleyParsons of Australia and Netherlands-headquartered KPMG was selected for a proposed 1,000MW coal-fired IWPP at Duqm. Although coal was ranked the following year by the UK’s Mott MacDonald as the most economic feedstock available, the coal-fired option was dropped on environmental grounds.

The state utility company’s decision to look at coal again may have been influenced by the successful tendering and award of the contract for the GCC’s first coal-fired power plant in Dubai in 2016.

The GCC’s first coal-fired power plant is being developed under the IPP model, with the developer consortium having signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Dubai Electricity & Water authority (Dewa) for a 2,400MW facility.

Fewa, the utility provider for the Northern Emirates in the UAE is also planning to develop a large coal-fired power plant.