Singapore-based energy company Sembcorp Industries has been awarded the contract to build, own and operate the Mana Solar II stand-alone power project in Mana, Oman. The company received a contract from the Oman Hydropower Procurement Company. The contract was awarded through a joint venture that Sembcorp will form through its subsidiary Sembcorp Utilities with JinkoPower Technologies.

The Manah Solar II IPP will be constructed using internal cash resources and external bank borrowings. The 500 MW solar facility is expected to come online in 2025 and has a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with OPWP.

The Manah Solar II IPP will mark Sembcorp's first renewable energy project in the Middle East, said Andy Kos, chief executive of Sembcorp Industries UK and Middle East. The project will be built in the Sultanate of Oman and will leverage the strong network and presence we have built in the country for over a decade through the Salalah Independent Hydropower Plant.

We are delighted to have been awarded this project and look forward to working with JinkoPower to support the global energy transition. Sembcorp said it does not expect the Manah Solar II IPP to affect the company's earnings per share, net asset value per share or leverage ratio for the current financial year. The company currently owns a 40% stake in the Salalah Independent Water and Power Plant located in the Dhofar region of Oman.

In December 2021, Sembcorp Energy UK announced plans to develop a 360MW battery energy storage system at the Wilton International Industrial Site in Teesside. The battery project is said to be the largest in Europe and will help the UK meet its net-zero emissions target. It will be built in batches on land that Sembcorp already owns, with connections already in place to allow for quick battery installation.Editor/XingWentao