OQ tenders Block 60 solar PV contract

6 March 2025

Oman’s OQ Alternative Energy has invited firms to bid for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for a new solar power plant in Block 60.

The Block 60 concession hosts the important Bisat field, comprising about 165 oil wells and three crude oil processing plants.

OQ expects to receive the technical and commercial bids for the solar photovoltaic (PV) project by 27 May.

The scope of work for the EPC tender encompasses the design, procurement, construction and commissioning of a 35MW grid-connected solar PV plant in Block 60 with interconnection to the Bisat substation.

The selected EPC contractor is responsible for designing and engineering the plant, including but not limited to layouts, solar modules, mounting structures, cleaning system, inverters, transformers, cabling, substation connection and balance-of-plant infrastructure.

This development comes close to a year after OQ Alternative Energy invited companies to bid for a contract to undertake environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) studies for its planned Liwa solar project.

In addition to constructing a 100MW solar farm in Liwa, the $80m project includes the supply of substations and other related facilities, MEED reported.

The project is part of the state-backed energy firm’s support for the sultanate’s goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Oman also aims for renewable energy to account for 30% of its overall electricity production mix by 2030 and 39% by 2040.


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Chinese contractors win record market share; Cairo grapples with political and fiscal challenges; Stronger upstream project spending beckons in 2025

Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the March 2025 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

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Jennifer Aguinaldo
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