The contract is wide-ranging, including identification of power and water requirements in the north, selection of the site for the project - most probably near the existing Barka IWPP - and appointment of a developer. Capacity, according to the original tender documents, is likely to be about 450 MW and 20 million gallons a day. The team will also examine the option of including acquisition of the state-owned 687.5-MW Rusayl power plant.

The client on both contracts is the National Economy Ministry, which in late December also awarded the advisory contract on the sultanate's first independent water project (IWP) at Sharqiyah to Bank Muscat(MEED 24:12:04).