The utility had looked at the option of fast-tracking the project instead of tendering it to a list of prequalified developers. It had invited Belgium’s Suez Energy International and the UK’s International Power - the two best ranked bidders on the recently tendered Fujairah 2 IWPP - to submit proposals by early November.

The industry consensus was that if either of the developers could match the price they had proposed for the Fujairah scheme, Shuweihat 2 would have been awarded. However, neither developer submitted a proposal by the early November deadline.

Companies are likely to be given up to four months to prepare proposals for the 1,600MW, 100 million gallon-a-day plant (MEED 2:11:07).