The prospective bidders are: the German office of Paris-based Technip-Coflexip, with the local Al-Jaber Energy Services Establishment; Athens-based Consolidated Contractors International Company (CCC), with Italy's Snamprogetti; Dodsal of India; McConnell Dowell of New Zealand; and the local Pan Arab Enterprise for Pipeline Construction.

Estimated to be worth $80 million, the 15-month EPC contract will cover the installation of a 178-kilometre-long, 24-inch-diameter pipeline from Al-Ain to Qidfa, the site of the power and desalination plant. The contract also includes the supply and installation of a compressor station at Al-Ain and a metering station at Qidfa.

The proposed pipeline will have an initial capacity of 170 million cubic feet a day (cf/d) with plans to increase to 350 million cf/d at a later date. Austria's ILF Consulting Engineers has carried out the front-end engineering and design (FEED) work.

The client is Dolphin Energy (DEL), which plans to award the contract by the end of May. At the initial stage, gas for the proposed pipeline will be supplied from the central manifold at Maqta operated by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. From 2005, DEL will supply gas under the Dolphin project.

The Fujairah power and desalination project is being carried out by Union Water & Electricity Company. It will comprise a 100 million-gallon-a-day desalination unit and 620-MW power station, and is due to be commissioned by mid 2003 (MEED 28:9:01).