MUSCAT : Spanning the Industrial, Oil & Gas, Mining, Power, and Crypto-Mining sectors, these ventures will collectively demand over 1600 MW at full capacity.

Leading the pack is United Solar Polysilicon, a pivotal $1.35 billion investment currently under construction in Sohar Freezone. Expected to connect in 2025, this project alone will require 800 MW to produce silicon feedstock for solar panels, semiconductors, and modules.

Other notable projects include Mawarid Mining’s copper project in Al Khabourah (15 MW), Sohar Titanium’s plant in Sohar Freezone (77 MW), and United Projects Achievements’ cloud data centre in Sohar Freezone (100 MW). Additionally, Sanvira Carbon’s calcined petcoke project (24 MW) and Oman Cement’s expansion (80 MW) will further bolster the grid’s demand.

OETC’s ambitious plans extend beyond Sohar. The Ghubrah III Independent Water Project in Muscat Governorate (50.8 MW), the Green Data City crypto-mining project in Salalah (200 MW), Star Ferro Alloys smelter in Sohar Freezone (18 MW), and several other ventures will soon be part of Oman’s expanding power network. Noteworthy among them are Exahertz crypto-mining in the Salalah Free Zone (100 MW) and multiple Oxy Oman facilities totalling 185 MW.

The integration of these projects is expected to push electricity demand significantly, which will be met largely by Oman’s growing renewable energy capacity. In 2023, the Main Interconnected System (MIS) saw a peak demand of 7,303 MW, up 7.4% from the previous year. The Dhofar System and Musandam System also experienced notable increases, indicating a steady rise in energy consumption across the Sultanate.

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