Dubai Aluminium (Dubal) is evaluating proposals for the contract to expand the capacity of its captive power generation facilities.

The aluminium producer received up to 14 bids from nine bidders, according to sources close to the project. The reason for more prices than bidders is due to a number of the bidder submitting alternative bids containing different technology options.

The project will expand the capacity of Dubal’s captive power plant by 450MW-550MW.

In January, MEED reported that Dubai Aluminium (Dubal) had raised a $1.8bn seven-year syndicated corporate loan to help fund its investment plans.

Dubal is a wholly owned subsidiary of Emirates Global Aluminium.

Emirates Aluminium (Emal), the Abu Dhabi operating subsidiary of Emirates Global Aluminium, is also undertaking a project to boost the capacity of its captive power plant at its Emal complex in Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad).

Emal initially received bids in February, but asked bidders to resubmit fresh prices due to bids being too high. Emal is currently evaluating the resubmitted prices.

South Korea’s Samsung C&T recently completed work on the $625m second phase expansion of the captive power plant at the Emal complex. The expansion of the power plant has increased the capacity of the plant from 2,000MW to 3,100MW. Samsung C&T was the EPC contractor for the second phase expansion, and the US’ GE provided turbines for the project.

The second phase expansion of the Emal smelter will boost its output by 550,000 tonne a year (t/y) to 1.3 million t/y by mid-2014.