The contract covers the supply and installation of eight open cycle gas turbines, each with capacity of 125 MW, as well as associated generators and electrical, instrumentation and control equipment. The plant will be installed by the summer of 2005.

In January, the Central Tenders Committee recommended the award of the contract to Siemens PG, after evaluating bids from three companies. The two other bidders were Paris-based Alstom Powerand the US' General Electric Power Systems(MEED 24:1:03).

The US' Parsons Brinckerhoff Internationalis the consultant for the project. The client is the Ministry of Electricity & Water, which had originally invited bids for a 1,000-MW plant at Shuaiba. However, the tender was cancelled after the National Assembly (parliament) objected on the grounds that the project had not passed through the CTC.