Oman Power & Water Procurement Company has selected GS Inima Environment a subsidiary of GS Engineering & Construction as the preferred bidder for desalination projects worth OMR 2.3 trillion (US$2.1 billion) in Oman. The concession awarded for the projects is the third phase desalination project at Al Ghubra desalination plant and the fifth phase project plan in Barka.

The preferred bidder will finance and operate the plants for 20 years. 

Al Ghubra desalination plant in Muscat will be expanded to increase the capacity of the plant to process an additional 300,000 cubic meters of seawater (which is enough water for 1 million people) per day by the end of Q2 of 2023. At present, the capacity of Al Ghubra plant is 191,000 cubic meters per day. 

Whereas Barka desalination plant which is located in the Al Batinah region of northern Oman will be expanded an additional capacity of 100,000 cubic meters per day by the second quarter of 2024. 

Huh Yoon-hong, business division chief of GS E&C, said: “These projects are a long-term business that sells desalinated seawater at fixed price. GS Inima, which will be responsible for the financing and engineering, procurement and construction as well as the operation and the maintenance of the projects, will be able to run a stable business”.