By 2026, the global installed capacity of renewable energy is expected to accelerate beyond the 4 terawatts mark, but intermittent challenges remain the biggest bottleneck. Oman's Nama Power and Water Procurement Company recently announced that it will officially launch the country's first large-scale all-weather renewable energy project bidding in 2026, with a total installed capacity of about 1000 megawatts and an annual capacity factor of over 70%, aiming to make clean electricity as stable and dispatchable as gas-fired power generation.

Gigawatt level all-weather green power

This project adopts a multi energy complementary design of photovoltaic, wind power, and energy storage, which is different from the 20% -25% capacity factor of ordinary photovoltaic power plants or the 30% -40% capacity factor of wind farms. Its core indicators exceed 70%, which means that stable output can be achieved for more than 70% of the year, basically comparable to the availability of gas turbines. Large capacity energy storage batteries store excess solar power during the day and excess wind power at night, and release it during windless cloudy days or peak electricity consumption without the need for gas refueling to achieve continuous power supply. The project is expected to release bidding documents within 2026, with a construction period of 2-3 years, and is expected to be connected to the grid in 2028-2029.

From oil and gas dominance to oil and gas+new energy

For Oman, the significance of this project goes far beyond electricity itself. At the level of the power grid, it can reduce voltage and frequency disturbances caused by wind and solar fluctuations, and reduce reliance on rotating backup; On the economic level, as a natural gas exporting country, replacing gas-fired power generation with green electricity can redirect the saved natural gas towards high-value LNG exports or supply to the aluminum and petrochemical industries; On the emission reduction level, it directly supports Oman's net zero emission commitment by 2050.

At the same time, there are also 280 MW Marsa LNG decarbonization supporting photovoltaics in Suhar Port, as well as independent power generation projects in Al Kamil, Dukum and other places, jointly promoting the dual wheel drive transformation of energy structure.

A New Window for Chinese Enterprises in the Middle East

This project is open for bidding to international developers, EPC and technology suppliers, opening an important window of opportunity for Chinese new energy enterprises. In terms of system integration, Chinese enterprises have rich experience in integrating wind, solar, and energy storage; In terms of equipment supply, core products such as photovoltaic modules, energy storage batteries, and PCS have global cost advantages; In terms of EPC and operations, Chinese enterprises have achieved multiple large-scale project achievements in the Middle East. Keywords: New energy, green power bidding

In the first quarter of 2026, China's exports of new energy to the Middle East increased by over 35% year-on-year. The implementation of all-weather projects in Oman will further consolidate the core position of Chinese enterprises in the global clean energy supply chain.Editor/Cheng Liting