South Korea's Doosan Heavy Industries & Constructionis Tractebel's nominated engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor and the developer group includes four local partners - National Trading, WJ Towell & Company, The Zubair Corporationand Sogex Oman.

The other bidders for the IWPP were: Dubai-based AES Oasis; France's Total; and a team of Singapore's Sembcorpwith Nissho Iwaiand Kansei Electric, both of Japan.

The Sohar IWPP calls for construction of a 480-550-MW, 30 million-gallon-a-day plant with first power available by 1 January 2006. Advising the government on the project is a team of Societe Generale, Denton Wilde Sapte, Bank Muscatand Germany's Fichtner.

An award is expected by the end of July on a fast-track contract associated with the IWPP, to build a power transmission network serving Sohar port and industrial area. India's KEC Internationalis low bidder for the contract at RO 41.2 million ($105.6 million) but the race is understood to be between the second and third lowest bidders, India's Larsen & Toubroand the local Bahwan Engineering Company.

Bids are also due by 2 August for a water transmission network to serve the plant and for a construction supervision contract. The Ministry of Housing, Electricity & Water is the client on all three contracts (MEED 25:6:04).