Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) has announced plans to launch a second utility-scale solar power plant with a 1 gigawatts (GW) capacity in the Dhahirah governorate of the sultanate, according to a report.

The sole procurer of new power and water capacity, OPWP said the new solar photovoltaic (PV)-based independent power project will be due for commercial launch in 2022, reported Oman Observer.

The Solar 2022 IPP, as the new project has now been named, is expected to be implemented alongside Oman’s maiden commercial-scale solar, dubbed ‘Ibri II Solar IPP’, at Ibri in Dhahirah Governorate.

The last date for submitting the bids is October 22 and the project will be awarded by the year-end. The commercial launch of the 1 GW project is slated for 2021, stated the report.

OPWP aims to procure more than 2,600 MW of renewables-based power generation capacity by 2025, in line with a commitment to ensuring that renewables account for at least 10 per cent of total generation capacity, it added.