ZAWYA: Oman targets major solar, wind and desalination procurements in 2026

Staff WriterOman’s Nama Power and Water Procurement Company (Nama PWP) plans to procure a broad pipeline of renewable energy and water desalination projects in 2026, according to its 2025 annual report.Desalination projectsNama PWP said it will commence procurement of two new independent water projects (IWPs): an 80,000 cubic metres per day (m3/day) desalination plant in Raysut in the Dhofar zone [called Dhofar Water 2030 IWP, according to PWP’s 7-year statement for water sector 2026-2032 with Scheduled Commercial Operation Date (SCOD) of 2030] and a 150,000 m3/day IWP desalination project in North Al Batinah [with SCOD of 2032].Request for Qualification: Wind and SolarThe state-owned principal procurer also plans to release Request for Qualification (RFQ) tenders for three new wind Independent Power Projects (IPPs): Duqm III Wind IPP, Al Jazir Wind IPP and Shaleem Wind IPP.According to PWP’s 7-year statement for power sector 2025-2031, all three projects are scheduled to reach SCOD in the second quarter of 2029. Duqm III Wind IPP will have a capacity of 300 megawatts (MW) while Al Jazir Wind IPP and Shaleem Wind IPP will have capacities of 100 MW each, the statement said.Request for ProposalsNama PWP said it intends to issue Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for four solar IPPs: Al Kamil II Solar IPP, Dhofar Solar IPP, Sinaw Solar IPP and Adam Solar IPP. These projects form part of a solar programme with combined generation capacity of approximately 2,500 megawatts (MW). The 7-year statement lists only Sinaw Solar IPP with a capacity of 400MW and SCOD of second quarter of 2028.Selected projects will incorporate battery energy storage systems (BESS) to enhance renewable energy dispatchability and grid stability.Oman had awarded its first project to incorporate utility‑scale energy storage in September 2025 with Nama PWP signing a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with a consortium led by Masdar and including Al Khadra Partners, Korea Midland Power Co. (KOMIPO) and OQ Alternative Energy (OQAE) to develop Ibri III solar PV IPP, which combines a 500 MW solar plant with a 100 MWh battery storage system.Marsa LNG decarbonisation projectNama PWP also plans to release an RFP for an approximately 280 MW solar photovoltaic IPP dedicated to decarbonising the Marsa LNG Project in coordination with Oman’s national energy champion OQAE. Marsa Solar IPP forms part of Oman’s industrial decarbonisation strategy, and has a SCOD of first quarter of 2028.RTC renewable energy projectAmong the largest planned procurements is a large-scale round-the-clock (RTC) renewable energy project integrating solar PV, wind generation and BESS. The project targets around 1,000 MW of dispatchable renewable capacity with an annual capacity factor exceeding 70 percent. Nama PWP said the project award is planned during 2026.Across the border, Masdar in partnership with EWEC is developing an RTC project in the UAE, which isslated to become the world's world’s first gigascale round-the-clock renewable energy project integrating utility-scale solar power and BESS.Project awards in 2026The company also expects to award three wind IPPs located in Duqm (Ras Madrakah), Mahout and Sadah. The projects were tendered in fourth quarter of 2025 and collectively carry generation capacity of approximately 1,120MW to 1,260MW. Sadah is listed in the 7-year statement with SCOD of fourth quarter of 2027, while Mahout’s SCOD is first quarter of 2028.Nama PWP had issued a tender seeking supervisory consultancy services for the three wind IPPs in October 2025.PWP also plans to award the 500 MW Al Kamil I Solar IPP, for which two bids have already been received and are under evaluation. The project’s SCOD is second quarter of 2027.(Writing by SA Kader; Editing by Anoop Menon)(anoop.menon@lseg.com)Subscribe to our Projects' PULSE newsletter that brings you trustworthy news, updates and insights on project activities, developments, and partnerships across sectors in the Middle East and Africa.Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. The content does not provide tax, legal or investment advice or opinion regarding the suitability, value or profitability of any particular security, portfolio or investment strategy. Read our full disclaimer policy here.