Bid groups are forming in preparation for the submission of proposals for the brownfield independent power and water projects (IWPPs) at Hidd in Bahrain and Fujairah. Bids for Hidd are due on 2 November and for Fujairah on 15 November (MEED 19:8:05; 15:7:05).

For the Hidd project, the prospective bidders are understood to include:

International Power (IP), UK, Tractebel, Belgium, and Sumitomo Corporation, Japan, with Sidem, France, as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor and supported by a bank group led by Royal Bank of Scotland;

Malakoff, Malaysia, National Power Company, Saudi Arabia, and Mitsubishi Corporation, Japan, with Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Company, South Korea,as the EPC contractor and supported by Arab Banking Corporation;

Sembcorp, Singapore, and Sojitz Corporation, Japan, with Hitachi Zosen Corporation, Japan, as the EPC contractor and supported by Calyon;

Marubeni Corporation, Japan, JGC Corporation, Japan, and Gulf Investment Corporation, Kuwait, with Fisia Italimpianti, Italy,as the EPC contractor and supported by ABN Amro with HSBC.

The project entails the acquisition of the existing Hidd power and desalination complex, which has capacity of 1,000 MW and 30 million gallons a day (g/d), and the addition of 60 million g/d of new capacity. The advisers to the Finance Ministry are BNP Paribas, Freshfields Bruckhaus Derringer and the UK's Mott MacDonald.

For the Fujairah project, the prospective bid groups are understood to include:

IP and Mitsui & Company, Japan, with Hyundai Heavy Industries, South Korea, as the EPC contractor;

Tractebel and Mitsubishi, with Doosan as the EPC contractor;

Sembcorp and Iberdrola, Spain, with Arabian Bemco Contracting, Saudi Arabia, as the EPC contractor;

Powertek, Malaysia, with DSD Stahlbau, Germany, as the EPC contractor;

Marubeni Corporation, Japan, with an unidentified EPC contractor.

The project involves acquisition of the existing 662-MW and 100 million-g/d Fujairah co-generation plant and addition of about 225 MW of generation capacity.

The developer will take a 40 per cent stake in the project company and Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (ADWEA) will hold the remainder. The advisers are HSBC, White & Case, Simmons & Simmonsand Germany's Fichtner.

www.meed.com/powerwater