14 September 2011
MUSCAT: True to its mutual cooperation with the government sector, Sohar Aluminium's power plant entered into a 2010-2012 agreement with the Oman Power and Water Procurement (OPWP) to assist with the increasing demand during peak summer months and enable both parties to transfer power between each other's systems.
With the Oman National Power Grid summer demand increasing above the installed grid generating capacity until new capacity is added to the system in 2012, Sohar Aluminium agreed to assist the grid by exporting power during the high demand summer months and importing power during the low demand winter months to balance the export.
Total power export
Support from Sohar Aluminium from May to July 2010 was limited to 138,239 megawatt hours as the grid demand reduced substantially following typhoon Phet.
However, in 2011, the total power exported to the grid during the peak months of May to August was 457,602 megawatt hours.
During this period, Sohar Aluminium's power plant which has a capacity of 1,000 megawatt hours, was regularly operated at 950 megawatt hours with 640 megawatt hours utilised to support the smelter operations and over 300 megawatt hours exported to the national grid which peaked at 3,991 megawatt hours.
The collaborative relationship between Sohar Aluminium and Oman Power and Water Procurement is a win/win arrangement providing improved business success and efficiency for both companies.
MUSCAT: True to its mutual cooperation with the government sector, Sohar Aluminium's power plant entered into a 2010-2012 agreement with the Oman Power and Water Procurement (OPWP) to assist with the increasing demand during peak summer months and enable both parties to transfer power between each other's systems.
With the Oman National Power Grid summer demand increasing above the installed grid generating capacity until new capacity is added to the system in 2012, Sohar Aluminium agreed to assist the grid by exporting power during the high demand summer months and importing power during the low demand winter months to balance the export.
Total power export
Support from Sohar Aluminium from May to July 2010 was limited to 138,239 megawatt hours as the grid demand reduced substantially following typhoon Phet.
However, in 2011, the total power exported to the grid during the peak months of May to August was 457,602 megawatt hours.
During this period, Sohar Aluminium's power plant which has a capacity of 1,000 megawatt hours, was regularly operated at 950 megawatt hours with 640 megawatt hours utilised to support the smelter operations and over 300 megawatt hours exported to the national grid which peaked at 3,991 megawatt hours.
The collaborative relationship between Sohar Aluminium and Oman Power and Water Procurement is a win/win arrangement providing improved business success and efficiency for both companies.
© Times of Oman 2011
