Tenders for the construction of a water plant in Hidd are to be issued later this year. The project, which will have a capacity of 60 million gallons per day (mgpd), will be implemented as the third phase expansion of the Hidd power and water plant.

Six contractors have submitted bids - ranging from BD1.27 million and BD3.77 million ($3.37 million to $10 million) - for a contract to provide consultancy services. The lowest bidder was Binnie Black & Veatch Limited. The other five bidders were Montgomery Watson Harza, Tebodin Consultant Engineers, ILF Beratende Ingenieure, Hyder Consulting and Fichtner Consulting Engineers.

Once the Electricity and Water Ministry specifications are approved, the consultant is to be appointed by the year-end.

Hidd currently has a production capacity of 30 mgpd of the total water production of 70 million gallons in the country.

The Hidd plant is expected to go on stream by early 2006. The project will use evaporation technology for the multi-stage flash desalination plant.

The technology involves one steam and three gas turbines at the Hidd plant, producing steam required for the facility.