GS Inima Barka-5 Desalination Co SAOC, Oman announced a Power Purchase Agreement for a solar photovoltaic plant at its Barka facility in Al Batinah South Governorate. The Barka 5 plant, which uses a reverse osmosis process, produces 100,000 m³ of potable water per day. The facility was launched last September with an investment of around $135 million. It is part of the Barka Water Hub that serves the water needs of Muscat, Al Batinah North and South, and Al Dakhiliyah governorates.
Under the new agreement, a 6.5 MWp solar PV plant will supply up to 11 percent of the Barka 5 plant’s energy needs until 2044. The solar project started its development in 2022. Construction is set to begin soon, with operations expected in the first quarter of 2026. The installation will lower the use of conventional energy sources at the desalination plant.
In another drive to use renewable energy, Veolia’s Sharqiyah Desalination Company, in partnership with TotalEnergies, opened a 17 MWp solar PV farm in November 2023. This solar installation covers the entire daylight energy consumption of a desalination plant with a capacity of 131,000 m³/day. The project is the first to supply full daylight power for water production in Oman.
Oman is also advancing smaller renewable energy projects across the country. Government data shows that a 100 kWp rooftop solar installation has been completed at a municipal building in Muscat. This system provides power for lighting and small electrical loads. In the Dhofar region, a 500-kW wind energy project has been set up to supply local communities with renewable power. A 2 MW solar water pumping system has been installed in a rural area to support irrigation and small-scale water treatment. Additionally, a 250 kWp solar PV system at a government health center in Sohar helps reduce the use of diesel generators.
