Two other consortia submitted in August revised offers for the work. They are Italy's Enelpower, with Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Ansaldo Energiaof Italy, with Hyundai Heavy Industries Company of South Korea (MEED 20:7:01).

The scope of work covers construction of a four-turbine steam power plant with two 10,000-cubic-metre multi-effect distillation units. The contract is expected to take 42 months to complete. The boilers and the first steam turbine will be commissioned in 36 months, with the other three turbines to come on stream at two-month intervals thereafter.

Gulf Steam is one of several plants planned by the government in its $3,500 million power station construction programme. Gecol aims to double installed capacity to around 10,000 MW by 2010. Over the same period peak demand is forecast to increase to 6,000 MW from 2,650 MW, leaving surplus generating capacity of 4,000 MW for export. The government is participating in an electrical grid interconnection system that will link Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt (see page 20).