20 November 2005
MUSCAT -- Construction of the Sohar independent water and power project -- Oman's biggest greenfield IWPP -- is in an advanced stage of erection at the Sohar Industrial Port, according to a top official of the company implementing the project.
Frederic Henning, Chief Executive Officer of Sohar Power Company (SPC), told delegates at last week's 'Port of Sohar -- Anchoring Success' conference that the IWPP is on schedule for a partial start-up in April 2006. The plant's full capacity of power and water production will be available for despatch one year later on April 1, 2007.
SPC, led by Tractebel-SUEZ -- was selected in July 2004 to design, build, own, operate and maintain the plant at Sohar. The project, involving an investment of around $550 million, consists of a 585MW Combined Cycle Gas Turbines plant and a 33 million imperial gallons a day (6250 cubic metres per hour) water desalination plant. Sohar Power Company groups Tractebel EGI and its local partners National Trading Company, the Zubair Corporation, WJ Towell & Co, Sogex Oman, and the Ministry of Defence Pension Fund (MODPF).
SPC's plant will be integrated into the northern Oman grid comprising a network of around 1,300km of mainly 132KV transmission lines extending from Sur to Buraimi.
The project's electricity output will be fed into a new 22KV substation being built near the project site. Two lines have been dedicated to the aluminium smelter under development on the other side of the main carriageway, while two other lines will link up with substations that form part of the 220/132KV interconnection grid. The substation and grid connections are due to be completed by the year-end.
Construction activity at its peak with around 2,000 workers mobilised at site, said Henning. Three Siemens-supplied gas turbines, each with a generation capacity of 120 MW, are currently under commissioning. These turbines are designed to also operate on gas oil in the unlikely event of any disruption in natural gas supply.
Oman Gas Company (OGC) will shortly make natural gas available for the project via a spur line that feeds a receiving station built near SPC's site. At peak capacity, gas consumption is pegged at 3 million cubic metres per day.
Later this year, the first of four multi-stage flash evaporators, each of 25 million gallons per day capacity, will arrive at site. The gigantic evaporators, each 70 metres long and weighing a colossal 2,300 tonnes, will be shipped via the Port of Sohar.
Desalinated water from the Sohar IWPP will help augment potable water supply to Muscat Governorate, as well as the Batinah region, which accounts for roughly half of total water demand in the Sultanate. The total water deficit in the country is almost entirely generated by the Batinah region, Henning said, while underlining the importance of the project in meeting the region's water needs.
By 2008, an estimated 1.3 million people in the Batinah and Muscat Governorate -- the Sultanate's most populous regions -- will be connected to the integrated potable water distribution network serving these areas.
Future water demand in these regions will be met by the existing desalination plants at Ghubrah and Barka, as well as the Sohar IWPP and the proposed Barka II project which will boast a capacity of 150,000 cubic metres of water per day. With the implementation of these projects, total installed capacity will rise to 540 million cubic metres per annum.
SPC is 50 per cent owned by Tractebel-SUEZ, the French energy conglomerate which generated revenues of around 40 billion euros last year. The company operates plants of a total installed capacity of 56,000 MW. Sogex Oman, along with SUEZ, will be involved in the operation of the Sohar IWPP.
MUSCAT -- Construction of the Sohar independent water and power project -- Oman's biggest greenfield IWPP -- is in an advanced stage of erection at the Sohar Industrial Port, according to a top official of the company implementing the project.
Frederic Henning, Chief Executive Officer of Sohar Power Company (SPC), told delegates at last week's 'Port of Sohar -- Anchoring Success' conference that the IWPP is on schedule for a partial start-up in April 2006. The plant's full capacity of power and water production will be available for despatch one year later on April 1, 2007.
SPC, led by Tractebel-SUEZ -- was selected in July 2004 to design, build, own, operate and maintain the plant at Sohar. The project, involving an investment of around $550 million, consists of a 585MW Combined Cycle Gas Turbines plant and a 33 million imperial gallons a day (6250 cubic metres per hour) water desalination plant. Sohar Power Company groups Tractebel EGI and its local partners National Trading Company, the Zubair Corporation, WJ Towell & Co, Sogex Oman, and the Ministry of Defence Pension Fund (MODPF).
SPC's plant will be integrated into the northern Oman grid comprising a network of around 1,300km of mainly 132KV transmission lines extending from Sur to Buraimi.
The project's electricity output will be fed into a new 22KV substation being built near the project site. Two lines have been dedicated to the aluminium smelter under development on the other side of the main carriageway, while two other lines will link up with substations that form part of the 220/132KV interconnection grid. The substation and grid connections are due to be completed by the year-end.
Construction activity at its peak with around 2,000 workers mobilised at site, said Henning. Three Siemens-supplied gas turbines, each with a generation capacity of 120 MW, are currently under commissioning. These turbines are designed to also operate on gas oil in the unlikely event of any disruption in natural gas supply.
Oman Gas Company (OGC) will shortly make natural gas available for the project via a spur line that feeds a receiving station built near SPC's site. At peak capacity, gas consumption is pegged at 3 million cubic metres per day.
Later this year, the first of four multi-stage flash evaporators, each of 25 million gallons per day capacity, will arrive at site. The gigantic evaporators, each 70 metres long and weighing a colossal 2,300 tonnes, will be shipped via the Port of Sohar.
Desalinated water from the Sohar IWPP will help augment potable water supply to Muscat Governorate, as well as the Batinah region, which accounts for roughly half of total water demand in the Sultanate. The total water deficit in the country is almost entirely generated by the Batinah region, Henning said, while underlining the importance of the project in meeting the region's water needs.
By 2008, an estimated 1.3 million people in the Batinah and Muscat Governorate -- the Sultanate's most populous regions -- will be connected to the integrated potable water distribution network serving these areas.
Future water demand in these regions will be met by the existing desalination plants at Ghubrah and Barka, as well as the Sohar IWPP and the proposed Barka II project which will boast a capacity of 150,000 cubic metres of water per day. With the implementation of these projects, total installed capacity will rise to 540 million cubic metres per annum.
SPC is 50 per cent owned by Tractebel-SUEZ, the French energy conglomerate which generated revenues of around 40 billion euros last year. The company operates plants of a total installed capacity of 56,000 MW. Sogex Oman, along with SUEZ, will be involved in the operation of the Sohar IWPP.
By Conrad Prabhu
Oman Daily Observer 2005
