Korea Western Power lands nation's first solar power order in Oman

Korea Western Power Co. (KOWEPO) has won its country's first project in solar power generation in Oman.

The company on Tuesday announced its successful bid for a 500-megawatt solar power project in the city of Manah ordered by the Oman Power and Water Procurement Co. (OPWP).

KOWEPO will build Oman's biggest solar power plant with a 1,000-mw capacity in Manah in the governate of Ad Dakhiliyah, located 170 km southwest of the country's capital of Muscat.

The OPWP placed separate orders for Manah 1 and Manah 2, both of which will have a 500-mw capacity. KOWEPO won the order for Manah 1, a super-large construction project with an investment of about 600 billion won ($459.2 million) on a site of 7.5 square km.

Construction will start in the second half of this year and completion is slated for March 2025.

KOWEPO will supervise the project's operations and maintenance after completion. The OPWP guarantees for 20 years the purchase of produced electricity.

Manah 1 is the largest project in new and renewable energy won by a public power company from South Korea.

KOWEPO has proven its competitiveness in the sector by landing major solar power contracts abroad like at Bannerton Solar Power Park (110 mw) in Australia and at home including one in the township of Anjwa (96 mw) in Shinan County, South Jeolla Province, and a floating plant (41.5 mw) in Hapcheon County, South Gyeongsang Province.

"This project is an example showing the global competitiveness of domestic power generation companies in new and renewable energy," KOWEPO CEO Park Hyung-duck said. "We will continue doing our best to win additional projects such as those of solar power and green hydrogen in Middle Eastern countries and the African region."

Write to So-Hyeon Kim at alpha@hankyung.com