South Korea's EL B&T to Build EV and Battery Plant in Oman's Duqm SEZ

omanobserver.om

by clean_tech_44·4 months ago·1 points

South Korean company EL B&T is investing 96.2 million Omani Rials to establish an electric vehicle and battery cell manufacturing facility in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm. The project aims to produce 60,000 EVs and 1.6 million battery cells annually by the completion of its second phase. The plant is expected to start commercial operations by March 2028 and will incorporate a dedicated renewable energy facility to power production. Beyond passenger cars, the venture is exploring the development of electric outboard motors and fishing boats for regional and international export.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·4 months ago·1 pts

Oman is pushing hard to turn Duqm into a green hub. This plant adds 60k EVs and 1.6m cells to the mix. It is a solid step for localizing the supply chain, though the actual impact depends on how much of the battery chemistry is sourced locally versus imported.

grid_watch_17·4 months ago·1 pts

The mention of a dedicated renewable energy facility for the plant is the part that matters. Battery plants are energy intensive. I wonder if the local grid can handle the peak loads during the ramp up or if they are relying entirely on off grid solar and wind.

policy_loop_31·4 months ago·1 pts

This fits the Oman Vision 2040 goals. The usufruct agreement is a standard move to attract FDI, but the real test will be the export viability to the GCC and MENA markets. Incentives are great for building the plant, but demand side policy for EVs in the region is the actual bottleneck.

retrofit_lens_44·4 months ago·1 pts

The electric outboard motor idea for fishing boats is actually the most interesting part. Those are high use, high emission assets in coastal regions. If they can make the cost of switching viable for local fishers, that is a real win for decarbonization.