Manah I is a 500MW greenfield solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant being developed in the Ad Dakhiliyah region of Oman.
The independent power project (IPP) is being developed by Wadi Noor Solar Power, a special purpose vehicle formed by EDF Renewables, a renewable energy developer based in France, and Korea Western Power Company, a power supplier based in South Korea.
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The Manah I project broke ground in September 2023 and is expected to be commissioned in the first quarter (Q1) of 2025.
The project will generate enough power for 50,000 homes and offset 700,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year.
It will support the Ad Dakhiliyah region’s aim of attaining carbon neutrality and is expected to augment the proportion of renewable energies in the energy mix to 35%-39% by 2040.
Project location
The Manah I solar project site is located adjacent to the planned 588MW Manah II project in the Ad Dakhiliyah region.
The site spans an area of 775.33ha and is located 30km south of Manah town and 130km (linear) from the coast. It has an elevation ranging between 340m and 350m above sea level.
Manah I solar power plant details
The Manah I solar farm will consist of 1,043,911 PV modules, each with a nameplate capacity ranging between 600Wp and 605Wp under standard test conditions.
It will incorporate bifacial N-Type modules affixed to 1P single-axis trackers with 1V brackets.
The modules will be serially connected to form PV strings, which will then channel electricity into string inverters.
Each PV string will consist of 31 to 32 modules and up to 19 PV strings per inverter, amounting to 33,670 PV strings in total.
The solar farm will utilise 1,740 inverters, each with a rated capacity of 295kVA.
In addition, the project will include 60 Integrated Transformer Stations (ITS), each rated at 8.8MVA with a 0.80/33kV configuration.
Each ITS will interconnect 30 string inverters, culminating in a total input power of approximately 10.5MWp per unit.
The project will feature Arctech’s flagship 1P SkyLine II tracker, endowed with a multipoint drive mechanism and a patented triple D torque tube.
The tracker is capable of withstanding wind speeds of up to 22 metres per second. The robust torque tube enables a post span of up to 10m, which can reduce the number of posts by 20% and reduce civil work expenses.
Power transmission details
The DC power generated by the panels will be converted to AC power through string inverters linked to low-voltage/medium-voltage transformers, which will then supply power to the 33kV internal grid.
A solar interconnection facility will be responsible for stepping up the voltage of the PV plant’s power from 33kV to 400kV, thus enabling integration with the Oman Electricity Transmission Company (OETC) grid through a 400kV transmission line.
A total of 20 will be conveyed to the Manah OETC substation through two 400kV underground cables.
The project achieved financial close in January 2024.
The project’s financing will be secured through equity and loan schemes from local and international financial institutions, which include Export-Import Bank of Korea, European bank Societe Generale, and Oman Bank Muscat.
Power purchase agreement
A 20-year power purchase agreement was signed in March 2023 with the Oman Water and Power Procurement Company, which will take effect from the start of commercial operations.
Contractors involved
Arctech, a solar projects equipment manufacturer and supplier, provided customised solutions, including the 1P SkyLine II tracker optimised for the project’s specific requirements and offering enhanced system adaptability and power generation efficiency.
Engineering company Worley was selected as the owner engineer for the Manah I solar power project.
