New Sitra Plant to Produce 1,500 MW Electricity and 30M Gallons of Water Daily

The Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) announced the launch of an international tender to develop and implement the Sitra Independent Power and Water Plant. The project, with a planned capacity of around 1,400–1,500 megawatts of electricity and 30 million imperial gallons of drinking water per day, will be carried out through a strategic public-private partnership under the Build-Own-Operate (BOO) model.

EWA Chairman, Eng. Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, stated that pre-qualification procedures for developers have been completed, with seven global companies and consortiums approved to participate. These include Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), ACWA Power, Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC), JERA, Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), Sumitomo Corporation, and the Chinese consortium CMEC/China Datang (Overseas Hong Kong).

The project will utilize advanced global technologies for electricity production and seawater desalination using reverse osmosis. Operations and performance testing for the first phase, producing 600 megawatts of electricity and 30 million gallons of water, are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2028. Commercial operation of the full plant is targeted for the second quarter of 2029.

Eng. Kamal highlighted that the project aligns with EWA’s strategy to replace older plants with more efficient facilities, reduce natural gas consumption, improve environmental sustainability, optimize resource use, and strengthen the energy and water infrastructure to support Bahrain’s economic and urban development.

He added that the project is strategic for enhancing electricity and water infrastructure and achieving sustainable energy and water security, supporting Bahrain’s broader goals for sustainable transformation and the Authority’s commitment to private-sector collaboration, increased production capacity, improved efficiency, and carbon neutrality by 2060.

EWA invited contractors and investors interested in collaboration to engage directly with the qualified companies and consortiums to further enhance partnership opportunities and knowledge exchange in implementing the project.

This initiative is part of EWA’s ongoing efforts to develop Bahrain’s energy and water sector, following the recent international tender for the Hadd Independent Water Plant with a 60 million-gallon daily capacity and the announcement of the country’s first solar-powered electricity and water plant in collaboration with the private sector, which will have a production capacity of around 150 megawatts.