Oman Power & Water Procurement Company (OPWP) has prequalified six groups to participate in the tender for a planned independent water project (IWP) at Khasab.

MEED reported in February that OPWP was evaluating prequalification proposals for the IWP from 13 groups, having received entries in December. The planned 3.5 million-imperial-gallon-a-day (MIGD) IWP will be developed at Khasab, an Omani enclave bordering the UAE.

The six firms that have been prequalified to participate in the tender are:

•  Acwa Emirates (UAE) / Sogex (local)
•  Utico (UAE)
•  Seven Seas Corporation (US) / Aqua Venture (US)
•  Veolia Middle East (France)
•  GS Inima (South Korea)
•  Tedagua (Spain)

The project is part of the sultanate’s plans to build additional desalination capacity to meet forecast demand, which is expected to rise by more than 6 per cent a year until 2020, according to OPWP.

In October 2016, MEED reported that OPWP had received bids for the Salalah and Sharqiyah IWPs.

The project owner received prices from three groups for each scheme. Eight groups had been prequalified to participate in the tenders.

For the 22-MIGD Salalah IWP, the three bidding groups are:

• JGC (Japan) / Bahwan Group (local) / Doosan (South Korea)
• ACS Cobra (Spain) / Tedagua
• Acwa Power (Saudi Arabia) / Veolia

For the 17.5-MIGD Sharqiyah project, bids were received from:

• JGC / Bahwan Group / Doosan
• ACS Cobra / Tedagua
• GS Inima