Oman Power & Water Procurement Company (OPWP) is evaluating proposals for advisory roles on the sultanate’s first planned solar independent power project (IPP).

Consultants submitted proposals for the financial and legal advisory services role for the planned solar project in July, and according to sources close to the project the client is currently still evaluating the submissions.

MEED reported in June that OPWP was planning to issue request for proposals (RFPs) for the main developer role on the project in the fourth quarter of 2017. The sultanate’s first major solar project is expected to be a 200MW photovoltaic (PV) scheme. The project is scheduled to be operational in 2020.

The proposed IPP will be the second utility-scale renewables project planned in Oman, with the UAE’s Masdar announcing in 2014 it was planning to develop a 50MW wind farm in the southern part of the sultanate in partnership with the local Rural Areas Electricity Company (Raeco).

Due to a number of delays in the design and procurement phase, the developer is currently evaluating EPC proposals. Following the delays, the project is now also due to be operational in 2020.