The Egyptian Electricity & Energy Ministry has invited international and local developers to submit prequalification documents for a new independent power project (IPP).

The deadline for submissions is 31 March.

The combined cycle power plant will be developed at Dariut on a build-own-operate basis. The plant is likely to have capacity of 1,500MW, consisting of two 750MW units.

However, developers can propose a different configuration using three 750MW units which would take capacity of the project to 2,250MW.

The Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company will buy the output of the plant for 20 years under a power-purchase agreement.

It is unclear whether the project is linked to plans for another 3,500MW IPP, which was announced by the country’s Public Private Partnership Unit in early January.

The Dariut project follows the successful launch of a scheme to develop a 250MW wind farm on the Gulf of Suez on a build-own-operate basis. A total of 10 companies have been shortlisted for that project.