IRENA’s Support for Oman’s Energy Storage: What It Means for Investors and Business Growth
MUSCAT: The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has committed to supporting Oman with technical and policy assistance as the country advances its strategy to develop energy storage capacity aligned with its national energy transition objectives.
To facilitate this, IRENA, based in Abu Dhabi, will host a significant workshop in partnership with Oman’s Ministry of Energy and Minerals on April 14, 2026. The event will focus on the increasing importance of energy storage systems in integrating renewable energy and improving power system flexibility.
Oman considers energy storage a vital component of its renewable energy transition. Recently, the Authority for Public Services Regulation (APSR) highlighted battery energy storage systems (BESS) as one of three key strategic priorities for 2026, alongside continuous renewable energy generation and demand response management. BESS and other storage technologies are essential for managing renewable energy intermittency and optimizing power dispatch.
IRENA emphasized the importance of this collaboration, stating: “As solar and wind generation expand globally, energy storage is becoming a key enabler of reliable, resilient, and flexible electricity systems. These technologies address renewable energy variability by balancing supply and demand in real time, storing excess electricity during periods of high generation and releasing it when needed. This capability supports the integration of greater shares of variable renewable energy while maintaining grid stability and reliability.”
The upcoming workshop will examine global trends in energy storage deployment, including market dynamics, cost competitiveness, and the expanding role of storage in renewable energy projects. It will also highlight emerging innovations and applications such as standalone systems, behind-the-meter solutions, and new technologies shaping future energy systems.
Key policy topics will be discussed, covering national energy storage framework development, including target setting, regulatory models, incentives, and value chain priorities. The workshop will convene government officials, regulators, industry experts, and private sector stakeholders to bolster Oman’s energy transition and its capacity to integrate higher levels of renewable energy with a reliable, sustainable power grid.
Energy storage is now being integrated into utility-scale renewable projects, moving beyond pilot phases. The Ibri III solar independent power project (IPP), currently underway, combines 500 MW of solar power with a 100 MWh BESS, marking Oman’s first utility-scale solar-plus-storage initiative and setting a precedent for future projects.
In addition to lithium-ion BESS at the grid scale, various international companies and their local partners are evaluating a range of long-duration energy storage technologies for Oman. One notable example is the CO₂ Battery developed by Energy Dome, advanced locally through a partnership with Takhzeen. Pumped-storage hydropower utilizing existing dams is also under active consideration in the country.
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Oman’s strategic collaboration with IRENA to advance energy storage, particularly through battery energy storage systems (BESS), positions the Sultanate as a regional leader in renewable integration and grid flexibility. For businesses and investors, this shift from pilot projects to utility-scale solar-plus-storage opens key opportunities in technology deployment, regulatory innovation, and partnerships across emerging storage solutions. Smart entrepreneurs should closely monitor evolving policies and emerging long-duration storage technologies to capitalize on Oman’s accelerating energy transition.
