Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) has outlined plans for its procurement of a string of independent water projects (IWPs) at a number of locations around the country totalling more than 220 m³/d in capacity.
In its seven-year statement running to 2021, OPWP has outlined plans to procure moderately sized plants for Khasab in Musandam governorate and Duqm in Wusta governorate, while substantial projects are planned in the Sharqiyah and Dhofar governorates.
The Duqm IWP is being considered for 2019 with capacity of up to 60,000 m³/d depending on the extent to which industrial demands must be served. It will be built in a mega economic zone to meet the potable water demand of a new town of some around 100,000 people over the next 15 years.
The Musandam IWP is being considered at Khasab with capacity of about 13,000 m³/d. It will the first Independent Water Project in the governorate which has, attracted substantial recent infrastructure investment.
OPWP plans to procure a new IWP in Sharqiyah with a capacity of about 55,000 m³/d while in Dhofar Governorate, it plans to procure an 80,000 – 100,000 m³/d IWP with a to meet 8% a year demand growth in the region. Both are to be brought into service in 2019.
According to OPWP water demand in the north part of the Oman is projected to increase by 6% a year from 226 million m3 in currently to 328 million m³ in 2021. This region takes in the Interconnected Zone of six governorates where peak water demand is projected to increase by up to 540,000 m³/d by 2021.
The zone includes the governorate of Muscat, and five others whose potable demand is covered by PAEW, and the Sohar Industrial Port which is served by Majis Industrial Services Company.