Kuwait invites bids for Doha desalination plant as Az-Zour is 65% finished

Kuwait’s ministry of electricity and water plans to invite bids for the first phase of a new desalination plant at Doha. Separately, construction of the first phase of a US$ 1.4 billion power and water plant at Az-Zour is close to twp-thirds complete.

Regional publication MEED quoted sources saying that nine groups have been prequalified for the Doha desalination plant tender including Korea’s Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction and Hyundai E&C.  This is the second time Kuwait has held a pre-qualification process for the project.

Overruns in an earlier environmental impact study delayed the first process after the ministry invited firms to prequalify for the scheme in April 2012. It had then planned to issue tender documents for the project in April 2013.

The project is part of Kuwait’s efforts to expand its desalination capacity to cope with increasing demand from rapid population growth. 

Meanwhile some 65% of the first phase of an integrated gas-fired combined cycle power plant and water desalination facility at Az-Zour, is complete according to special purpose project company Shamal Az-Zour Al-Oula. The engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the 486 Ml/d, multiple-effect distillation desalination plant is Sidem. It will meet some 20% of Kuwait’s drinking water demand.

The Az-Zour plant, located about 100 km south of Kuwait City, is part of the North Integrated Water and Power Production project (IWPP). It is scheduled to be commissioned by the fourth quarter of 2016 with power production scheduled to start in June this year.

The North IWPP is the first phase of a series of IWPPs.