The plant will supply 1.2 MW of electricity to the national grid, the equivalent of powering about 400 homes, according to Japan's Mitsubishi Corporation which is fully funding the project.

According to Reuters, Mitsubishi Corp has signed a memorandum of understanding with Brueni's Energy Ministry to build and operate a test solar power plant in the western part of the sultanate in a three-year project starting in 2010.

Mitsubishi, Japan's biggest trading company, will transfer needed technology, educate local staff and shoulder the project's total cost, estimated at 1.5 billion yen (US$13.7 million), a company spokesman told Reuters.