Oman’s Musandam Power (MPC), in which state firm Oman Oil Company is the major shareholder, has awarded Finland’s Wärtsilä a contract to build a 120MW dual-fuel power plant at Tibat-Wilayat Bukha in Musandam for start-up in 2016. The Musandam peninsula is Oman’s northernmost region, separated from the rest of the country by UAE territory.

The plant will mainly burn gas, with diesel as back-up, bringing the first gas-fired capacity to Musandam’s isolated diesel-fired system. Wärtsilä will build the plant – which will comprise 15 internal combustion engines – under an EPC contract with independent power producer MPC. Wärtsilä will deliver the plant on a turnkey basis and will undertake service and maintenance for 15 years. Wärtsilä says the plant will be able to respond rapidly to load variations between 10MW and 120MW in rapidly developing Musandam. (CONTINUED - 278 WORDS)