Thirteen firms vie to build water project in Khasab

Muscat: As many as thirteen firms have shown interest in developing an independent water project (IWP) in Khasab with a desalination capacity of 16,000 cubic metres per day.
It was in response to Oman Power and Water Procurement Company’s (OPWP) request for qualification tender for developing the desalination project.
Musandam governorate
According to an earlier report, the Khasab project, which is expected to be completed by late 2019, will cater to the growing demand for water in the Musandam governorate.
The companies that submitted applications for prequalification are Abengoa Water Consortium, ACWA Emirates Consortium, Al Fanar Energy, GS Inima, House of Trading and Services Consortium, Metito Consortium, Osmoflo, Romman Premium Enterprises Consortium, SETE Energy Consortium, Seven Seas Consortium, Tedagua, Utico and Veolia Middle East, according to the OPWP’s website.
Pre-qualification process
These will be evaluated by the Oman Power and Water Procurement Company for selecting pre-qualified firms for bidding for the project. The winning company will develop it as a private sector project.
Apart from Khasab, the Sultanate is also developing independent water projects in Salalah, Shaqiyah and Duqm, which will together add 52.8 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD) of new capacity to the country’s rapidly expanding domestic water generation capacity.
Demand for potable water in Oman’s northern region, which includes the Muscat governorate, is projected to grow by 6 per cent per annum in the next five years, from 238 million cubic metres in 2013 to 349 million cubic metres by 2020. A combination of population growth and industrial development, including tourism projects, is being cited as a major reason for the growth in demand for potable water.