The Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP) has invited companies to prequalify for the contract to develop the Al-Abdaliyah integrated solar combined-cycle (ISCC), which is being developed as a public-private parnetship (PPP) project.

KAPP is the new name for Kuwait’s PPP body, which was formerly called the Partnerships Technical Bureau (PTB). The PTB had invited companies to submit expressions of interest (EoI) for the Al-Abdaliyah project in May 2014.

Companies have until 30 June to submit prequalification entries for the ISCC, which will run on a combination of solar power and gas, and have a total capacity of 280MW. The plant will contain a 60MW solar component. The project will be located in Abdaliyah in southwest Kuwait, and will be located on an area of 2 square kilometres.

KAPP, in collaboration with the Ministry of Electricity & Water (MEW), will oversee the creation of a joint stock Kuwaiti project company, which will build, operate and transfer (BOT) the project for an investment period of 25 years. The project company will sign an Energy Conversion and Power Purchase Agreement (ECPA) with the MEW, with the MEW being the offtaker for the electricity generated by the project.

The UK’s HSBC was appointed as financial consultant for the project in September 2013.

The project is part of Kuwait’s aims to meet at least 15 per cent of its energy needs through renewable energy sources by 2030.