Estimated to be worth $350 million-400 million, the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract will cover the supply and installation of two 12.5 million-g/d units, with an option for two additional units of a similar capacity. The units will use multi-stage flash (MSF) technology.

The scope of works will also include the construction of a seawater-cooling system. Power and steam for the proposed desalination project will be supplied from the 2,400-MW Subiya plant. The facilities are expected to be commissioned in just under 30 months. At a later stage, the MEW plans to double the capacity of the desalination plant.

The project is related to the construction of a water storage and distribution complex at Subiya. The 30-month, two-phase project will be tendered in six packages. It involves the supply of up to 96 million g/d of water to residents and industrial users in Subiya and Mutla, in northern Kuwait, and west Funaitees, south of Kuwait City (MEED 17:8:01; 15:6:01).

The first phase of the water complex project consists of five packages at an estimated total cost of KD 145 million ($467 million). The MEW is expected to issue a list of prequalifiers by the end of March for the first four packages on the project. This will be followed by a seven-week bidding period.

The packages cover the installation of a 24-kilometre twin ductile pipeline running from the planned desalination plant to the water storage facilities, the installation of a 113-kilometre ductile pipeline to supply water from Subiya to Mutla and from Mutla to west Funaitees, and the construction of a pipeline to transfer brackish water from Mutla to Subiya. It also entails the supply of six 1,000-litre-a-second water pumps.

The consultant is Binnie & Partners (Overseas), part of the UK's Binnie Black & Veatch.