10 April 2016
Muscat - Project agreements are due to be inked here on Wednesday for the establishment of a major Independent Water Project (IWP) in Sohar. Oman Power & Water Procurement Company (OPWP), the sole procurer and offtaker of all electricity generation and water desalination capacity under the sector law, will sign a number of agreements on behalf of the government with Myah Gulf Oman Desalination Company SAOC, a Spanish-Omani joint venture that won the mandate in a competitive tender to develop the IWP. Valoriza Agua, a subsidiary of Spanish-based construction and engineering group Sacyr SA, is a 51 per cent shareholder in Myah Gulf Oman Desalination Company.

Other shareholders are Oman Brunei Investment Company (25 per cent) and Sogex Oman (24 per cent). As the project company, Myah Gulf Oman Desalination Company will undertake the design, construction, ownership, financing, operation and maintenance of the seawater desalination project.  The desalination plant with reverse osmosis technology will have a capacity of 55 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD) -- equivalent to 250,000 m3/day. Output from the plant is committed to OPWP under a 20-year Water Purchase Agreement. The plant will begin operation in 2018.

© Oman Daily Observer 2016