Oman has assigned “special project” status to two under-construction water desalination schemes on its Batinah coast to get around legal obstacles.
The special designation will pave the way for the procurement of the plants under the Sultanate’s Sector Law, according to local reports. It allows for water desalination projects that may fall outside the scope of the Sector Law, to be procured by Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP).
International firms are expected to respond to a recent request for qualifications by OPWP ahead of its formal tender leading to the award of licenses for two independent water projects proposed for the cities of Barka and Sohar. The Barka project is sized at 281,000 m³/d of desalination capacity and Sohar will have a capacity of 250,000 m³/d. T
he two projects will cost about US$ 1 billion in total. OPWP has set March 2 as the deadline for the submission of qualifications by developers interested in participating in a competitive tender.