The Oman Power & Water Procurement Company (OPWP) is planning to launch the prequalification process for the country’s first major solar project in the fourth quarter of 2017.

OPWP revealed in its latest seven year forecast, for the years 2017-2023, that it had appointed a technical advisor to develop tender documents and prepare for procurement of the sultanate’s first major solar plant, which be developed using photovoltaic (PV) solar technology.

The state utility is planning for the Solar independent power project (IPP), which will have a minimum capacity of 200MW, 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.