GDF Suez starts operations at Omani power plants

French energy company GDF Suez said Wednesday it inaugurated two power plants in Oman that have a combined capacity of 1,488 megawatts.

Willem Van Twembeke, the company's chairman of international energy programs, said GDF Suez has a long record of success in the sultanate. GDF Suez has a stake in six existing power plants that serve approximately 600,000 consumers.

The Sohar 2 and Barka 2 units, which together represent a $1.7 billion investment from GDF Suez, will add to the installed capacity of the Omani energy grid, the company said.

The French company said its counterparts at the Oman Power and Water Procurement Co. expect demand for electricity to grow consistently at a rate of 9.5 percent per year, driven in large part by economic development and population growth.

GDF Suez was awarded contracts for the facilities in 2010. Both plants started commercial operations according to schedule.

The French company said the two coastal gas-fired power plants are the most energy efficient facilities of their kind in Oman.