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Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, has signed a joint development agreement with the Rural Areas Electricity Company (RAECO) to build the first large-scale wind farm in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The $125 million, 50MW wind farm in the Sultanate of Oman will be constructed in the country’s Dhofar Governorate.
The first-of-its-kind wind project is a result of strong bilateral ties between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman. The project also reflects the increasing trend by GCC nations to invest in renewables as a means to diversify the energy mix and address long-term resource security. In fact, the accumulated opportunity for clean energy, including solar, wind and peaceful nuclear energy, is US$100 billion over the next five years.
“The region is rapidly adopting renewable energy as a viable solution to meet growing electricity demands and to address long-term resource security,” said H.E Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE minister of state and chairman of Masdar. “The Oman wind project is a prime example of how clean energy can deliver reliable power supplies and improve energy security, while also supporting a transition to a low-carbon future.
“The United Arab Emirates is a first mover,” said Al Jaber, “Through Masdar, the UAE is proving that renewables are both competitive commercially and essential to diversifying the global energy mix.”
The Dhofar wind-power project supports Oman’s broader strategy to meet the country’s growing energy demand, which is rising due to population and economic growth. Upon completion, wind energy will represent 7% of total installed power generation capacity in the Dhofar region.
“When the project is completed, wind power will meet half of the Dhofar region’s energy needs during the winter,” said Eng Hamed al Magdheri, CEO of RAECO. “It will also reduce our reliance on traditional forms of energy, such as gas, which can be redirected toward more valuable industrial uses, while also extending the life of our hydrocarbon reserves.”
Masdar has a strong track record of delivering large-scale renewable energy projects in the region and across the globe. In the wind sector, Masdar delivered London Array – the largest offshore wind farm in the world – and is currently part of a consortium working to complete the Dudgeon wind farm, a 402MW project in the United Kingdom. In the Middle East, Masdar is also working to deliver the 117MW Tafila onshore wind farm in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
(Photo: Dr. Ahmad Belhoul (CEO, Masdar) and Eng Hamad bin Salim Al Maghdari (CEO of RAECO) during the signing ceremony. In the presence of H.E Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaberm (UAE minister of state and chairman of Masdar) and Mohammed Abdullah Al Mahrouqi (Chairman of RAECO))