PB Power has been appointed owner’s engineer for the $1.25 billion Hidd Power Complex Phase 3 expansion project in Bahrain.

Phase III covers the installation of a 60 million gallons per day (gpd) desalination plant and the integration of a 910 MW gas turbine-based power generator, which produces 30 million gpd of desalinated water.
PB Power is providing technical services covering design review, quality inspection services, construction supervision and performance testing. Its work will focus on the multiple-effect distillation plant being supplied by Sidem of France in 10 six-million-gpd units.
Key issues to be addressed include integration with the existing facility, since steam and power necessary for the new desalination plant are provided by the existing facilities. As part of the privatisation process, the metering for fuel, power import and export, along with water, must also be brought up to commercial standards to meet the terms of the power and water purchase agreement.
PB Power will provide on site project management and construction supervision alongside the Hidd Power Company project team. Project manager Roger Hale feels this is crucial to the success of the project.
“It’s important to be embedded with the client’s team for effective project delivery,” he says. “A close working relationship is essential for the success of our role on the project.”
“We have a good understanding of the strengths PB Power brings to projects,” adds construction director Simon Westaway. “We worked with PB Power on Saudi Aramco co-generation projects and on the Shuweihat project, and we are confident that they will do an excellent job for us.”
The expansion project will be finished by the end of 2007, with 12 million gpd in service early to meet Bahrain’s growth in demand.