SECTION 1

MAIN INTERCONNECTED SYSTEM

The Main Interconnected System (MIS) extends throughout the Governorates of Muscat and Buraymi, and
most of the Governorates of Al Batinah North, Al Batinah South, Ad Dakhiliyah, Ash Sharqiyah North, Ash
Sharqiyah South and Ad Dhahirah, serving around 736,000 electricity customers.
It comprises a number of power generation facilities, owned and operated by various companies; a single
220/132 kV transmission grid, owned and operated by Oman Electricity Transmission Co. (OETC); and three
distribution networks, owned and operated by Muscat Electricity Distribution Co. (MEDC), Mazoon
Electricity Co. (MZEC) and Majan Electricity Co. (MJEC). The three distribution network operators also act as
licensed electricity suppliers, supplying existing and new electricity customers in their respective service
areas. The MIS is presently interconnected with the power systems of Petroleum Development Oman (PDO)
and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Several of the power generation facilities connected to the MIS produce desalinated water in conjunction
with electricity, to meet the regional requirements of water departments responsible for supplying water
to customers (including the Public Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW) and Majis Industrial Services
Co. (MISC)). Several water-only desalination plants also supply these water departments.
OPWPs role is to aggregate the power and desalinated water requirements of licensed electricity suppliers
and water departments, and to economically procure the required power and desalinated water in bulk
from generation/production facilities connected to the MIS and water transmission systems. OPWP is
required to ensure that sufficient power generation resources are available to meet licensed electricity
suppliers demands. Wherever beneficial, OPWP co-procures desalinated water to meet the needs of water
departments in joint power-water facilities, and procures stand-alone desalinated water facilities upon the
direction of PAEW in accordance with Article 78 of the Sector Law.

1.1

DEMAND FOR ELECTRICITY

OPWP evaluates electricity demand at the system level, including transmission and distribution system losses
with consumer-level loads. This equates with the output of power generation plants at the delivery point(s) to
the power system, excluding the internal power consumption of auxiliary systems. 1 OPWP follows a similar
approach with respect to estimating water demand, the output of desalinated water plants, and the
consumption of auxiliary systems of combined power and water plants.

This approach assures equivalence toward planning the generation supply required to meet consumer
demand. However, from the perspective of power system operations, electricity demand and output are
monitored at available metering points located at substations and power plants. The system gross demand
at any point in time is the sum of the metered output at all power generators, although a portion of that
generator output must be consumed by plant auxiliary systems. System peak demand is considered as net of
plant auxiliaries and any exports to other power systems. The hourly consumption of plant auxiliary systems is
not measured directly at some plants and in these cases must be estimated. Consequently, there may be
differences in peak demand reports, depending on how auxiliary consumption at each plant is estimated.
7-Year Statement (2014-2020)

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