Four international groups submitted bids by the 16 September deadline for the construction of a 150-200-MW power station for Saudi Petrochemical Company (Sadaf), industry sources say (MEED 30:6:00).

The bidders for the estimated $120 million-150 million build-own-operate (BOO) project are understood to be CMS Energy Corporation and Enron Corporation, both of the US, Enelpower of Italy and Mitsubishi Corporation of Japan. The unit will be built at Sadaf's styrene monomer-2 plant in the Eastern Province.

It will supply the plant with steam, besides providing power for the company's internal use.

Sadaf earlier this year specified three gas turbine manufacturers for the project. They are Westinghouse Electric Corporation and General Electric Company (GE), both of the US, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan (MEED 26:5:00).

The Sadaf scheme is the first of its kind involving industrial companies setting up private power utilities on their own premises. Similar moves are being considered by other Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) affiliates as well as by Saudi Aramco.

Sadaf: fact file Sadaf is a 50:50 joint venture between Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) and Pec ten Arabian Company, a subsidiary of the US'Shell Oil Company.

South Korea's Daelim was awarded the construction contract on the new 500,000-tonne-a-year (t/y) styrene plant. It will boost Sadaf styrene output to 950,000 t/y.

The co-generation plant is set to be the first private power project in Saudi Arabia.