Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa) has shortlisted Ras Laffan Power Company (RLPC) and Qatar Electricity & Water Company (QEWC) as preferred bidders to build a $500m independent water project (IWP).

According to a source close to the project, developers were shortlisted on 22 July. Kahramaa will now carry out negotiations with the two bidders. The chosen developer will build the IWP next to an existing independent water and power project (IWPP).

If QEWC is selected, it will build a 72 million gallon-a-day (g/d) multi-stage flash desalination plant next to the Ras Abu Fontas A1 plant.

Japan’s Hitachi Zosen is QEWC’s nominated engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the individual units of 18 million g/d each. The UK’s HSBC is financial adviser to QEWC.

If RLPC is selected, the plant will be built at Ras Laffan or at another site selected by Kahramaa. RLPC owns an IWPP with a capacity of 750MW and 40 million g/d of desalinated water. Qatar Petroleum, Gulf Investment Corporation and QEWC are all shareholders in RLPC.

The greenfield expansion will be carried out in two phases of 36 million g/d capacity each.