Emirates LNG has released a tender for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage and regasification unit at Fujairah on the east coast of the UAE, according to industry sources.

Prequalified companies have been asked to submit technical bids for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) package by 19 May. The deadline for commercial bids has been set on 1 July.

About six international engineering groups have been prequalified to bid for the contract.

Emirates LNG, a joint venture of state-owned Abu Dhabi groups Mubadala Petroleum and International Petroleum Investment Company (Ipic), will build the project in two stages, with a proposed final capacity of 9 million tonnes a year (t/y) of LNG.

The tender is thought to be for the first phase, which covers a floating storage and regasification units with annual capacity of 4.5 million t/y, or about 600 million cubic feet a day (cf/d).

Phase two will add another floating storage facility with onshore vaporisation capacity, which will also be able to receive 4.5 million t/y of LNG.

The front-end engineering and design (feed) phase has been carried out by France’s Technip. The project’s feasibility study was completed by US-based Poten & Partners.

Abu Dhabi is looking to import LNG all year round, with the bulk of the gas used for power production by Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Company (Adwec).

The main customers are expected to be the Fujairah 1 and 2 integrated water and power projects (IWPP), majority owned by Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (Adwea).