About 15 developers are understood to have been prequalified by the Finance Ministry for the Hidd brownfield independent water and power project (IWPP). The request for proposals (RFP) was issued in late July, with bids due on 2 November.

Asian companies dominate the shortlist for the scheme, which entails the acquisition of the existing Hidd power and desalination complex, which has capacity of 1,000 MW and 30 million gallons a day (g/d), and installation of an additional 60 million g/d. First water is due in March 2007, with full completion scheduled by the end of 2008.

The ministry's advisers on the project are BNP Paribas, the UK's Mott MacDonaldand Freshfields Bruckhaus Derringer(MEED 5:8:05).