The local National Contracting Company (NCC) is low bidder at SR 247 million ($66 million) for the contract to expand the crude-fired Al-Jouf power plant, near the Jordanian border, at a price marginally lower than the only other bid of SR 257 million ($69 million) submitted by the local Al-Toukhi Contracting. The scope of works on the 17-month contract calls for the supply and installation of one 60-MW GE Frame-7 turbine, with the option to install an additional unit.

Al-Toukhi is low bidder at SR 126 million ($33.6 million) to supply and install one 60-MW GE frame-7 turbine at the oil-fired Tihama facility. NCC submitted the second-best offer of SR 131 million ($35 million). The local Arabian Bemco Contracting is the only other bidder. SEC is expected to make an award on the two contracts soon.

For a similar contract to expand the Tabuk power plant by supplying and installing two distillate-fired turbines, each with a capacity of 65-75 MW, Bemco, Al-Toukhi, NCC, and Cyprus-based Joannou & Paraskevaides (J&P Overseas) submitted technical and commercial offers in late April. SEC is expected to open commercial envelopes by the end of May (MEED 7:4:06).

Bids are due by the end of June to build a new 250-MW power plant at Jizan. The prequalifiers for the estimated SR 500 million ($134 million) contract are understood to include Germany's Siemens, South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries, NCC, Al-Toukhi and Bemco.

Al-Toukhi was awarded on 6 May a SR 114 million ($30.4 million) contract to supply and install a 60-MW turbine at the existing Jizan plant.

Bemco and Al-Toukhi also recently submitted bids for the estimated $40 million inlet air cooling project covering SEC's PP9 block E power plant in Riyadh (MEED 7:4:06).