The Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) has launched a request for proposals (RfP) for the development of two Independent Water Projects (IWP) in Sharqiyah and Salalah.

OPWP is the responsible for procuring new capacity for power and water and for purchasing and selling the output in the Sultanate of Oman.

This announcement comes after OPWP launched, in December 2015, a request for qualifications (RfQ) for the project. OPWP had received interest for the development of the two desalination PPP projects from the following 10 groups:

• Abengoa
• Seven Seas Water Corporation and Modern Channel
• GS Inima
• Hyflux
• Sembcorp
• Marubeni
• Sojitz Corporation
• ACWA Power with Veolia Middle East and Dhofar International Development & Investment Holding
• Tedagua
• Degremont SAS with Itochu Corporation

Salalah IWP will have a water capacity between 18-22 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD). The project is expected to be operational by early 2019.

The Sharqiyah IWP will have a water capacity of 18 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD). The project is proposed to start commercial operations in two stages, the first by May 2019 and the second by May 2020.

We have recently reported that OPWP awarded the Sohar independet water project (IWP) to the consortium composed of Valoriza Water (51%), a subsidiary of Sacyr, Oman Brunei Investment Company (25%), and Sogex Oman (24%).

The project includes design, construction, ownership, financing, maintenance and operation, of a seawater desalination plant. The drinking water produced by this plant will be sold under a 20 year water purchase agreement.