DUQM: Marafiq (Centralized Utilities Company), a joint venture of OQ and Gulf Energy Development Corporation of Thailand, announced the partial commissioning of the Integrated Power and Water Plant in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD) to provide electricity and desalinated water for Duqm Refinery (OQ 8) and Oman Tank Terminal Company (OTTCo).

Marafiq is a subsidiary of the Oman Investment Authority (OIA).

The achievement comes as part of the OQ’s efforts to develop the utility sector in Duqm under the Central Utilities Services Agreement with the SEZAD.

Accordingly, Marafiq established the subsidiary company, Duqm Power Company, to develop Duqm Integrated Power and Water Project and a 132-kV-high voltage line project to transmit electricity from the Plant to Ras Markaz oil tanks project, located around 80 km away.

Engineer Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hashemi, Executive Director of Marafiq, said: “The potential capacity of the integrated power and water plant is 326 megawatts of electricity and 36,000 cubic meters of water per day. It includes a seawater intake facility with a supply capacity of 1.5 million cubic metre per day, in addition to a water outtake line with a capacity of up to 1 million cubic metre per day.”

He added: “The project boosted the OQ’s contribution to the In-Country Value (ICV) with over $56 million investment in local products and services. Furthermore, nearly 60 training opportunities were provided for Omanis and 5 other training-for-employment opportunities were offered for Duqm’s community. Therefore, the number of overall job opportunities provided by the OQ to Omanis reached 34 direct jobs with more than 360 other indirect jobs, marking Omanisation at 71%.”

The Integrated Power and Water Plant marks one of the significant investments for OQ Group and OIA in SEZAD. “The plant completed this year major commissioning tests and started supplying electricity and water to OQ8,” the Marafiq’s top official concluded.