Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) has announced that six bidders have been pre-qualified in relation to the RFQ for the development of a water desalination plant in Khasab.

The pre-qualified bidders are:

• ACWA Emirates Bidding Group, formed by ACWA Emirates and Sogex Oman LLC;
• Utico;
• Seven Seas Water Bidding Group, comprised of Seven Seas and AquaVenture Holdings Ltd;
• Veolia Middle-East;
• GS Inima and;
• Tedagua.

As we reported in early November, OPWP launched the project and In February it received 13 requests for qualification from firms vying to develop the project.

The new project, located in Musandam Governorate in the north of the Sultanate, will have a capacity of approximately 16,000 m3/day (3.5 M IGD).

The Independent Water Project (IWP), is expected to reduce well production as well as to allow aquifer recharge. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2019.

The Musandam Zone which encompasses much of the northern area of Oman, is currently served by small desalination plants. There is one in Kumzar with 450 m3/d capacity owned and operated by the Rural Areas Electricity Company (RAECO), three plants of the Public Authority for Electricity & Water (PAEW) plants of about 3,500 m3/d, and wells.