Sogex Oman was the low bidder when four companies returned prices in November. It was followed by Belgium's Tractebel, with Germany's Babcock Borsig, at AED 197 million ($53.7 million); the UK's Innogy, with Thames Water, at AED 213 million ($58 million); and the US' CMS Energyat AED 335 million ($91 million).

In addition to providing O&M services for the co-generation plant at Qidfa, Sogex will also have responsibility for the 179-kilometre water transmission line, which will have capacity of 180 million g/d and connect the facility to Sweihan in Abu Dhabi emirate.

UWEC's planned second-phase development of the Qidfa site will add up to 1,000 MW of new power capacity and 100 million g/d of desalination. Four firms are competing for the project management consultancy contract, which UWEC says will be awarded by May. The bidders are PB Powerand Mott MacDonald- both of the UK, and two German firms - Fichtnerand Lahmeyer International.

Fourteen international and local companies have applied for prequalification for the phase-2 engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract, which UWEC says will be awarded by September.

UWEC's long-term plan is to part-privatise the Fujairah plant by selling a stake of up to 49 per cent in the project to a foreign partner.