PowerChina has announced that one of its key subsidiaries - China Hydropower Engineering Bureau No. 10 - has broken ground on the Oman Riyah Wind Power Project.

The sultanate’s first wind power project being set up with oil and gas companies as the sole electricity purchaser, the Oman Riyah Wind Power Project features two 100 MW sub-projects - Riyah-1 and Riyah-2, with a total installed capacity of 200 MW.

Riyah-1, which covers an area of 441 hectares at an altitude of 245 m, will be completed in Q2 next year, while Riyah-2, which covers 226 hectares at an altitude of 227 m, will be ready in Q4.

Once operational, the project will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 740,000 tonnes per annum and cut natural gas consumption by 380 million cu m.