Prominent international energy consultancy firm Energoprojekt Entel has announced that it has been selected by the Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority (GCCIA) to provide consultancy services linked to the execution of the Oman Direct Link project – a new interconnection initiative that will link the main grid of the Sultanate of Oman with that of the GCCIA.

A joint stock company collectively owned by the GCC states, the GCCIA is responsible for constructing, maintaining, and operating the 400kV grid interconnection of the national grids of the six-member GCC bloc.

In a post, the regional arm of Energoprojekt Entel described the 400kV Oman Direct Link Project as “one of the most prestigious power transmission projects in the Gulf region in recent years”.

“Interconnecting electrical grids of the Gulf countries is paving the way for a new era of energy collaboration and power trading in the Gulf region and (Energoprojekt Entel) is honoured that it can play its part in this process,” it further noted.

According to the project consultant, the 400kV Oman Direct Link initiative will enable direct interconnectivity between the existing GCCIA 400kV transmission network with Oman’s main grid.

It entails the construction of a new 400kV double circuit overhead line connection, spanning a total route length of 528 km, from GCCIA’s Silaa Substation in the UAE to an existing 400/220kV substation of Oman Electricity Transmission Company (OETC) at Ibri. En route, this overhead line will be integrated with an intermediate 400kV GCCIA substation located near Madinat Zayed in the UAE, as well as a new 400kV GCCIA substation in Oman, adjacent to the existing 400/220kV substation of OETC in Ibri.

Slated for completion in 2026, the 400kV Oman Direct Link project will be the second such interconnect between Oman and the GCC bloc when it eventually comes on line. The first interconnect was established in 2012 at Mahadha where a 220 kV system links Oman with the GCCIA via the UAE (Abu Dhabi) power system.

According to Nama Power and Water Procurement Co (PWP) – the sole national buyer of electricity and potable water in Oman – the new 400kV interconnection will open up direct access with all member states of the GCCIA – a move that will “enhance the benefits in stability, generation planning, and trade opportunities relative to the existing 220 kV link via the UAE”.

Highlighting the significance of the project in its 7-Year Outlook for 2023 – 2029, Nama PWP noted that the project would enable net transfer capacity to increase from 400 MW presently to about 1,300 MW when it is operational. Thus, in addition to facilitating two-way power transfers, particularly during emergencies, the two interconnects will also contribute to planning reserve requirements, it added.