09 May 2019
Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) is expected to award the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract for its 250-megawatt (MW) Hatta Hydroelectric Power Plant in the second quarter of 2019, a source close to the project said.

The 1.92 billion UAE dirhams ($523 million) pumped-storage hydro power plant, the first of its kind in the Arabian Gulf, will generate electricity by making use of the water in the Hatta Dam, which can store up to 1,716 million gallons, according to a June 2017 statement by DEWA.

"Bids are being evaluated for the contract, and the award is expected to take place in June 2019. The project is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2021," the source told Thomson Reuters Projects.

The source said consortium bids received for the project include Strabag, Ozkar and Andritz at $379 million; GE and Sinohydro at $449 million; and Acciona, Archidoron and Voith at $491 million.

Individual bidders for the project include Andritz, Toshiba Corporation, ACCIONA Group, Archirodon, Larsen & Toubro, Ozkar Insaat Sanayl ve Ticaret, General Electric, Strabag, Sinohydro, Voith, China Power Construction Corporation, Cimolai, Mitsubishi Corporation, Vinci, Besix, Porr, Sinohydro, officials from these companies confirmed with Thomson Reuters Projects.

The source said the EPC tender was issued on 16 July 2018 with a bid submission date of 13 January, which was extended to 13 February 2019.

In July 2018, DEWA had announced in a press statement that engineering studies for the project were completed by EDF Group as part of a 58 million dirhams ($16 million) consultancy contract to the French firm in June 2017.

A second source told Thomson Reuters Projects that the scope of work involves the construction of two upper reservoirs that would be able to hold up to 880 million gallons of water, as well as installation of boilers, condensers, generators and solar-powered turbines.

(Reporting by Senthil Palanisamy; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@refinitiv.com)

© Thomson Reuters Projects News 2019