Union Water and Electricity Company (UWEC) has signed a deal with Fitchner Consulting Engineers for a key project in Fujairah.

The German firm has been appointed project management consultant for UWEC's second power generation and water desalination project.
The plant will be built near the company's first project in Qidfa, Fujairah.
UWEC's second project will have a nearly 1,000 MW power unit and a 100-million gallons per day (mgpd) desalination plant which is due for completion in mid-2006. The company will finalise a shortlist of contractors for a turnkey engineeering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract by end of this year and issue the tender early next year.
A contract will be awarded by mid-2004 and the selected contractor will be required to complete the job in 24 months.
Fitchner beat competition from another Germany firm Lahmeyer International, PB Power of the UK and Mott McDonald for the project.
Union Water has reached two milestones in its first project, a 656 MW power unit and a 100 mgpd water desalination plant. Power and water started flowing at the project in late February and late April respectively, a month ahead of schedule.
By mid-July, the company had produced more than 250 mgpd of water and 180,000 MW of power which is being exported to the Federal Electricity and Water Authority network.
Union Water also plans to privatise its projects in future in line with the ongoing privatisation of the water and power sector in Abu Dhabi.