The Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) of the Kingdom of Bahrain has received proposals from two regional utility developers for the development of the Sitra Independent Water and Power Project (Sitra IWPP).

The companies that submitted bids for the project are ACWA from Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) from the UAE. The Sitra IWPP is being procured under a Build-Own-Operate (BOO) framework.

The project involves the development of a large-scale combined power and water production facility comprising a thermal power plant with a Guaranteed Net Contracted Power Capacity (GNCPC) ranging between 1,400 MW and 1,500 MW, alongside a Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) desalination facility with a Guaranteed Net Contracted Water Capacity (GNCWC) of 5,682 cubic meters per hour. The scope of the project includes the development, financing, construction, ownership, operation, and maintenance of both the power plant and desalination facility, as well as the associated electrical, water transmission, and utility infrastructure.

Once operational, the plant will substantially boost Bahrain’s power generation and drinking water production capacity, helping to meet increasing demand from residential, commercial, and industrial users throughout the Kingdom. The development is also anticipated to draw significant private investment and global technical expertise, strengthening Bahrain’s public-private partnership (PPP) initiatives and supporting its long-term sustainable infrastructure objectives.