New Strategies Emerge in Oman Desal Tender

2 Jun 2015
Available with corporate subscription

On 20 March 2015, Oman Power and Water Procurement Co (OPWP) released a list of 12 consortiums, including 22 companies, with statements of qualifications to bid on the Barka and Sohar independent water project (IWP) tenders. The two plants are slated for commissioning by 2018, adding 530,000 m3/d of new desalination capacity to OPWP’s current 670,000 m3/d of installed supply. OPWP has announced plans to leverage private water sector investments for as much as US$1.8 billion by 2020 or an estimated 630,000 m3/d. This investment will include the Qurayyat, Sohar, and Barka plants.

In addition to the announced project tenders, OPWP signed a water purchase agreement with Singapore-based Hyflux on 25 March 2015 for the development, construction, and operations of a seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant at Qurayyat. The agreement includes a 209,000 m3/d plant with a 20-year O&M agreement from 2017 to 2037.

Bluefield Takeaways

  • IWP model continues to gain traction
  • Bidding roster demonstrates globalizing competition
  • Oman demand sparks water infrastructure expansion