Sembcorp Industries (Sembcorp) today (May 19) celebrated the official opening of its $1 billion Salalah Independent Water and Power Plant (Salalah IWPP) in Oman.

The ceremony was graced by Sayyid Mohammed bin Sultan bin Hamoud Al Busaidy, Oman’s Minister of State and Governor of Dhofar, and K Shanmugam, Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law as the guests of honour.

The Salalah IWPP was successfully completed and commenced full commercial operation in May, 2012.

The facility consists of a gas-fired power plant with a total gross capacity of 490 megawatts (net capacity of 445 megawatts) and a seawater desalination plant with a total water production capacity of 15 million imperial gallons (69,000 cubic metres) per day.

It will provide power and water under a 15-year power and water purchase agreement with the Oman Power and Water Procurement Company, which is wholly owned by the Government of Oman.

Today, the Salalah IWPP supplies about 75 per cent of the total power demand in Dhofar. The plant is Sembcorp’s first facility in Oman. The project was secured in 2009, following a competitive bidding process involving global utilities players.

Besides the Salalah IWPP, Sembcorp also owns, operates and maintains the Fujairah 1 Independent Water and Power Plant – one of the world’s largest operating hybrid desalination plants – in the UAE since 2006.

Tang Kin Fei, Sembcorp’s group president & CEO, said, “We at Sembcorp are very pleased to celebrate this momentous occasion. The successful completion of the Salalah IWPP is a significant milestone for Sembcorp and reaffirms our capabilities as a leading global energy and water player, with a solid track record in identifying, securing, financing and executing large scale energy and water projects.

“As the largest and most energy-efficient power and water plant in Dhofar, the Salalah IWPP will play a major role in meeting the region’s growing power and water demand. Together with our partners, we look forward to serving the essential power and water needs of the region for many more years to come.” – TradeArabia News Service