The newcomers - the UAE’s Mubadala Development Company and Italy’s Sorgenia - were added to the shortlist as part of a prequalification process that ended on 11 July. The companies have now been issued with a request for proposals.

The 1,320MW Safi project has replaced previous plans to build a plant at Cap Ghir.

The companies that had prequalified for the original project were automatically prequalified for Safi. They are: the US' AES Corporation; China Guodian Corporation with China International Water & Electric Corporation; the US' CMS Generation; France's EDF International; Portugal's EDP; Endesa of Spain with Germany's Siemens Project Ventures; the UK's International Power; Malaysia's Malakoff with Saudi Arabia's Xenel Industries; Japan's Marubeni Corporation with Abu Dhabi Energy Company (Taqa); Japan's Mitsubishi Corporation; Mitsui & Company, also of Japan; Malaysia's Powertek Berhad; Belgium's Suez Energy International; Japan's Sumitomo Corporation; and Spain's Union Fenosa.

The successful bidder will enter into a 30-year power-purchase agreement with One (MEED 13:8:08).