The seven lots are:

Lot I-1 - the new 400/220/132-kV substation at Dhaid

Lot I-2 - extension of the 400-kV Taweelah substation

Lot I-3 - extension of the 400-kV substation at the H station in Dubai

Lot I-4 - extension of the 220-kV Sajaa substation in Sharjah

Lot II-1 - erection of 200 kilometres of 400-kV overhead line between Dhaid and Taweelah

Lot II-2 - erection of 36 kilometres of 220-kV overhead line between Dhaid and Sajaa

Lot III - construction of the Emirates monitoring centre, which will be built either at H station or at Dhaid, and the telecommunications infrastructure.

Contract awards on the project are expected in the autumn. Project completion is set for late 2005.

ENG calls for the five power networks - operated by Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (ADWEA), Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA), Sharjah Electricity & Water Authority (SEWA), the Federal Electricity & Water Authority (FEWA) and Union Water & Electricity Company (UWEC)- to be interconnected by a 400-kV transmission backbone.

The consultant is Electricite de France, which is being assisted on the transmission line portion by Germany's Fichtner.