An international tender to develop the landmark Sitra Independent Water and Power Production Plant (IWPP) has been launched by Bahrain’s Electricity and Water Authority (EWA).
Once complete, the plant is expected to produce up to 1500 megawatts (MW) of electricity and 30 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD) of potable water.
It will be delivered through a Build-Own-Operate partnership with the private sector.
According to EWA president Kamal Ahmed, the authority has completed the pre-qualification process for seven leading global companies and consortia who are capable of developing IWPPs, including the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, ACWA Power, Gulf Investment Corporation, Japan-based JERA, Korea Electric Power Corporation, Sumitomo Corporation, as well as the consortium of China Energy Engineering Corporation and China Datang Overseas Hong Kong.
Contractors and investors interested in the project can get in touch with these companies directly to exchange expertise and explore partnership opportunities for the implementation of the project.
EWA expects operational testing and initial commercial operations of 600MW and 30MIGD to begin in the second quarter of 2028, with the plant set to reach full capacity by the second quarter of 2029.
“The project will be developed using the latest global technologies of high operational efficiency and quality standards in the field of electricity generation and seawater desalination using reverse osmosis (RO) technology,” Mr Ahmed added, in a statement.
“This project is in line with EWA’s plan to replace old plants with new, more efficient ones, using modern technologies that help reduce natural gas consumption, thereby supporting better resource efficiency and the kingdom’s efforts to lower carbon emissions and achieve environmental sustainability.”
RO is a water purification technology that uses a high-pressure system to force water through a semi-permeable membrane, separating water molecules from dissolved solids, ions and larger particles.
The process effectively removes impurities, producing high-purity water for drinking, industrial uses and seawater desalination.
The project is in line with EWA’s vision to promote sustainability in the kingdom’s electricity and water production sector by working with the private sector to increase production capacity to meet urban and economic growth, contributing to Bahrain’s sustainable transformation, infrastructure readiness, and the kingdom’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.
The GDN had previously reported that an international tender was also launched for Al Hidd IWPP with a capacity of 60 MIGD.
In addition, work has also begun on Bahrain’s first solar-powered electricity and water production plant, with a production capacity of around 150MW, with its tender expected to be launched before the end of this year and commercial operations expected to begin in the third quarter of 2027.
naman@gdnmedia.bh
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