The UAE’s Federal Water & Electricity Authority (Fewa) has tendered a consultancy contract for a planned desalination plant in Al-Zawra, Ajman.

The plant will be built under an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract, while operation and management services will be tendered separately.

Bids for the consultancy contract, which will involve providing feasibility studies, services during the tendering process and design and construction supervision, are due on 19 February 2015.

The 30 million imperial gallons a day (MIGD) reverse osmosis desalination plant will supply water to 250,000 people in the northern emirates.

Fewa signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Abu Dhabi’s Taqa in 2014 to develop the plant as an independent water project (IWP). Taqa is no longer involved in the project.

A 10MIGD desalination plant in Al-Zawra was completed in by Spanish Cadagua in 2013.

Fewa imports water and electricity from Abu Dhabi due to a lack of capacity in the northern emirates while demand continues to grow. Desalinated water imports reached 60MIGD in 2013.