Oman Power & Water Procurement Company (OPWP) is receiving letters of preliminary interest in its planned Duqm independent water and power project (IWPP).

The 1,000MW facility will be the first coal-fired power plant in the Gulf.

Companies began submitting their preliminary expressions of interest on 10 December and will be able to do so until April 2010, when OPWP will issue a request for prequalification.

A request for proposals will follow in September. The client plans to make an award in August 2011. The plant is due to start generating power in April 2015. It will begin full commercial operations in January 2016.

The government will import the coal feedstock for the project from Indonesia and South Africa.