By Abbas Nazil
Solar Wadi, a leading renewable energy company in Oman, has announced plans to develop approximately 500 MWp of cumulative renewable energy capacity over the next three years, marking a major step in the Sultanate’s decarbonisation and industrial energy transition.
The initiative supports Oman’s broader green energy goals across industrial, commercial, and government sectors and is anchored by a 93 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project under construction in Suhar Industrial City.
Scheduled to begin commercial operations by mid-2026, the Suhar plant is expected to supply around 40 percent of the energy requirements for tenants in the industrial city and serves as a model for decarbonising other industrial zones managed by the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates, known as Madayn.
Solar Wadi’s CEO, David Kennedy, noted that the company’s total development pipeline already exceeds 1 GW and aims to replicate the Suhar model across all 15 industrial cities overseen by Madayn.
Smaller cities like Nizwa and Sur may require up to 30 MWp each, while larger hubs such as Al Rusayl could demand as much as 60 MWp, with Madayn’s portfolio potentially needing around 300 MWp of solar capacity.
The company is also facilitating the energy transition for large industrial consumers, including steel and aluminium producers, whose power needs range from 1 to 50 MW, while several smaller projects, totaling around 5 MWp, are already underway at sites such as Oman Data Park and the Arab Open University in Muscat.
Solar assures that its plants can meet approximately 40 percent of power requirements for continuously operating industrial facilities and up to 60 percent for daytime-only operations, a critical capability for exporters to EU and US markets subject to carbon taxes.
The company is committed to Omanisation and local capacity building, collaborating with international engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors while gradually sourcing materials and services domestically.
Kennedy highlighted that the approach ensures knowledge transfer, supports Oman Vision 2040, and fosters a self-sustaining renewable energy sector in the Sultanate.
