The request for proposals (RFP) was issued in late December to about 10 prequalified developers for the position of foreign partner on the Mesaieed independent water and power project (IWPP). Bids are due by 15 March.

The prequalified developers are understood to include Sumitomo Corporation, Marubeni Corporation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Mitsui & Company, all of Japan, the US' AES Corporation, the UK's International Power with Japan's Chubu Electric Power Company, Malaysia's Malakoff Berhad with Saudi Arabia's National Power Company, Spain's Iberdrola, Electricite de France and Belgium's Suez Tractebel.

The project, also known as Facility B, calls for 2,000 MW of generating capacity and 40 million gallons a day (g/d) of desalination. The selected developer will take a 40 per cent stake in the project company, with the remainder owned by Qatar Petroleum (QP) and Qatar Electricity & Water Company (QEWC).

The plant is due to begin commercial operations in April 2008. The project's technical consultant is Germany's Fichtner, while the steering committee is composed of QP, QEWC and Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa - MEED 2:12:05).

Tendering on the project was slightly delayed after the project's steering committee informed developers that a desalination component would be added to thepower facility (MEED 2:12:05).