Dubai: The private sector will be allowed to invest in the Hessyan Power and Desalination Complex — the biggest project of its kind in the region, Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, vice-chairman of the Supreme Council for Energy, managing director and chief executive of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), told Gulf News on the sidelines of the Dubai Global Energy Forum yesterday.
"Dewa has paved the way for the private sector to enter the power generation and utility businesses through a private-public partnership in [the] Hessyan project," Al Tayer said.
Upon completion, the Hessyan Power and Desalination Complex will produce 9,000 megawatts of power and 720 million gallons of water each day.
The plant is being built on a 4 square kilometre site 60 kilometres southwest of Dubai on the shores of the Arabian Gulf.
Six stages
The plant will be built in six stages with the first two stages, PI Station and PII Station, expected to be ready in 2014.
PI and PII will each consist of a 1,500MW combined cycle gas power island and a 120 million imperial gallons per day desalination island.
Costs are estimated at $2 to $3 billion (Dh7.3 to 11 billion) per stage. Later stages are planned to start in 2014. The first phase will have a total power generation capacity of 1,500MW and commissioning will take place in 2014.
Al Tayer said that Dewa will set up a separate company to handle the operation of Hessyan project.
The company will be licensed by the new Electricity and Water Regulatory Authority. The private sector's stake will be 49 per cent and Dewa's stake will be 51 per cent.
The Hassyan project was designed to meet the increasing demand for power and water in Dubai. May 15 is the deadline for tenders for the first phase.
"One company would get the project. This will create a healthy environment to encourage private-public sector partnerships in future," Al Tayer said.
Competition
Dubai will encourage private sector participation in this field and will create a competitive atmosphere among them as well as protecting the rights of the investors and enhance their confidence, he said.
The Hessyan power plant will be a gas-fuelled complex plant currently under construction.
