Dubai Aluminium (Dubal) has invited contractors to submit bids for the contract to expand the capacity of its power generation facilities.

Prequalified contractors have been invited to submit bids by 19 May for the contract to expand the capacity of its captive power plant by 450MW-550MW.

According to sources close to the project, 17 companies attended a site visit at the launch of the tender, although it is unclear how many bidding groups have been prequalified.

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. MEED reported in March that Emal had received bids for the third phase expansion of the captive power plant at its Emal complex in Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad).

Emal received bids from contractors on 26 February for the contract to expand the plant by a further 235MW. It is believed that fewer than five bids were submitted for the expansion, according to sources close to the project.

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.

In November the US’ GE Power & Water was awarded a long-term agreement to provide services on turbines that power the aluminium smelter complex in Taweelah, Abu Dhabi.

The contractual services agreement (CSA) will extend its current services for three of the GE-supplied 9FA turbines and add the maintenance and support of two 9FA standby units. The CSA will cover requirements of spare parts, repairs and field services.