South Korean group Kowepo (Korea Western Power) said it has officially signed the contract with Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) for the development of a 500MW solar plant in the Manah region of the sultanate.

The project was awarded by OPWP in two separate orders – Manah 1 (500MW) and Manah 2 (500MW), and once completed, it will be the largest solar power plant in Oman.

The Manah 1 solar power project will be developed by Kowepo and its French partner EDF-R at an investment of US $452mn, while Manah 2 will be taken care of by a consortium of Jinko Power from China and Sembcorp from Singapore.

Work on the project will begin in November and is due for completion in March 2025.

As per the deal, Western Power will also be responsible for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of the solar power plant.

The electricity set to be produced over the next 20 years is guaranteed to be purchased by OPWP.