31 October 2013
MUSCAT -- Developers from Spain, Japan, Singapore and the UAE are among a dozen companies that have sought to prequalify for a license to build a major Independent Water Project (IWP) in Qurayyat in Muscat Governorate.
Tuesday's deadline for the submission of qualifications, set by Oman's Tender Board, saw responses from a total 12 companies, many of them regional and international heavyweights.
The list includes Hyflux, Singapore-based provider of integrated water management and environmental solutions with operations and projects; GS Inima, established in 2011 by the takeover of Spanish water treatment and desalination firm Inima by South Korea GS Engineering and Construction; Sumitomo Corporation, one of the world's largest trading companies; Spanish based Acciona, which is a leader in infrastructure, energy, water and sustainable services; and Japanese global trading firm Itochu.
Also in the fray at this stage of the competitive tendering process are Spanish multinational corporation Abengoa, which has interests spanning energy, telecommunications, transportation and the environment;
Singapore based Sembcorp, which already operates a major power and water project in Salalah; Valoriza Agua, a water treatment company fully owned by the Spanish Sacyr Group; and Cobra Instalaciones Y Servicios, a Madrid-Spain based international firm that constructs, operates, installs, and maintains industrial and energy infrastructures in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
Competing for the prestigious contract from the UAE are TAQA (Abu Dhabi National Energy Company), a global energy company majority owned by the Abu Dhabi Government; PAL Technology Services, a subsidiary of the Royal Group and PAL Group based in the United Arab Emirates; and UTICO FZC, a desalination and water solutions specialist.
It is expected that the contenders, upon confirmation of their prequalification status, will partner or tie-up with other players to form consortiums designed to strengthen their overall chances of bagging the license.
The selected bidder will secure a 15-year license for the design, financing, construction, commissioning, ownership, operation and maintenance of a water-only scheme boasting a desalination capacity of 46 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD).
As with all independent power and water projects implemented in the Sultanate, Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP), the sole procurer of all new electricity generation and water desalination capacity, is overseeing the development of the Qurayyat IWP.
A suitable site, located just south of Qurayyat town, has been identified for the setting up of the project, which will rank among the largest green-field water-only projects to be undertaken in the Sultanate.
The facility, based on seawater reverse osmosis technology, will run on electricity supplied from the grid.
When operational in the second quarter of 2016, the Qurayyat IWP will allow for potable water to be pumped to Muscat -- for the first time -- from the eastern side into the water grid, as opposed to the current practice of drawing water into the grid primarily from desalination plants in Barka and Sohar.
A team of international consultants is advising OPWP on the financial, technical and legal aspects of the project's development. The project team comprises UK-based Project Financing Solutions Limited (Financial Advisers), Ayesa of Spain (Technical Advisers), and Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP (Legal Advisers).
MUSCAT -- Developers from Spain, Japan, Singapore and the UAE are among a dozen companies that have sought to prequalify for a license to build a major Independent Water Project (IWP) in Qurayyat in Muscat Governorate.
Tuesday's deadline for the submission of qualifications, set by Oman's Tender Board, saw responses from a total 12 companies, many of them regional and international heavyweights.
The list includes Hyflux, Singapore-based provider of integrated water management and environmental solutions with operations and projects; GS Inima, established in 2011 by the takeover of Spanish water treatment and desalination firm Inima by South Korea GS Engineering and Construction; Sumitomo Corporation, one of the world's largest trading companies; Spanish based Acciona, which is a leader in infrastructure, energy, water and sustainable services; and Japanese global trading firm Itochu.
Also in the fray at this stage of the competitive tendering process are Spanish multinational corporation Abengoa, which has interests spanning energy, telecommunications, transportation and the environment;
Singapore based Sembcorp, which already operates a major power and water project in Salalah; Valoriza Agua, a water treatment company fully owned by the Spanish Sacyr Group; and Cobra Instalaciones Y Servicios, a Madrid-Spain based international firm that constructs, operates, installs, and maintains industrial and energy infrastructures in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
Competing for the prestigious contract from the UAE are TAQA (Abu Dhabi National Energy Company), a global energy company majority owned by the Abu Dhabi Government; PAL Technology Services, a subsidiary of the Royal Group and PAL Group based in the United Arab Emirates; and UTICO FZC, a desalination and water solutions specialist.
It is expected that the contenders, upon confirmation of their prequalification status, will partner or tie-up with other players to form consortiums designed to strengthen their overall chances of bagging the license.
The selected bidder will secure a 15-year license for the design, financing, construction, commissioning, ownership, operation and maintenance of a water-only scheme boasting a desalination capacity of 46 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD).
As with all independent power and water projects implemented in the Sultanate, Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP), the sole procurer of all new electricity generation and water desalination capacity, is overseeing the development of the Qurayyat IWP.
A suitable site, located just south of Qurayyat town, has been identified for the setting up of the project, which will rank among the largest green-field water-only projects to be undertaken in the Sultanate.
The facility, based on seawater reverse osmosis technology, will run on electricity supplied from the grid.
When operational in the second quarter of 2016, the Qurayyat IWP will allow for potable water to be pumped to Muscat -- for the first time -- from the eastern side into the water grid, as opposed to the current practice of drawing water into the grid primarily from desalination plants in Barka and Sohar.
A team of international consultants is advising OPWP on the financial, technical and legal aspects of the project's development. The project team comprises UK-based Project Financing Solutions Limited (Financial Advisers), Ayesa of Spain (Technical Advisers), and Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP (Legal Advisers).
© Oman Daily Observer 2013
