Wed, 25 July 2012
MUSCAT -- The race for a licence to build a major Independent Water Project (IWP) at Ghubrah in Muscat Governorate is now down to five groups. Bids were opened at the Tender Board here yesterday with only five of the original seven groups prequalified to participate in the competitive process, submitting firm offers for the project.
Left in the fray for the prestigious licence are consortiums led by Japan-based international conglomerate Marubeni Corporation; Hyflux Ltd, a Singapore based integrated water and environmental solutions provider; Spanish based international potable water and wastewater utility Acciona Agua; Malakoff International -- a subsidiary of Malaysia's largest independent power and water producer; and Grupo Cobra -- a Spanish based water utility.
Two other Spanish-based groups led by international general contractor Tecnidas Reunidas, and water treatment specialist Valoriza Agua respectively, did not submit offers, signalling their exit from the race.
Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) is overseeing the procurement of the Ghubrah IWP on behalf of the Public Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW). The successful bidder will be granted a licence to design, construct, own, finance, operate and maintain a 42 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD) capacity desalination plant based on seawater reverse osmosis (RO) technology. Project costs are estimated at $350-400 million.
The project will be built at the site of the existing Al Ghubrah Power Generation and Water Desalination Plant in Muscat. The latter facility, built in phases over many years, is itself planned to be decommissioned in line with OPWP's seven-year planning process, as well as for environmental considerations.
Unlike most desalination plants which are typically co-located with power generation capacity, the new Ghubrah IWP will be supplied with electricity from the grid. An award is due to be announced in the fourth quarter of this year.
© Oman Daily Observer 2012
