Hidd IWPP, Bahrain

What is it? A greenfield 273,000m3/d multiple effect distillation (MED) plant in Bahrain. As part of the deal, the project company also acquired an existing 136,000m3/d of multi-stage flash (MSF) capacity.

Who is responsible? The EPC contractor for the MED plant was Sidem. The original MSF units were supplied by Fisia. The project was developed by International Power, Suez Energy (now GdF Suez Energy International) and Sumitomo.

Why is it shortlisted?

• The project represented the first time that MED technology was employed on an independent water and power plant, and was the technology's first serious challenge as an alternative to MSF in the Gulf.

• As the largest commissioned desalination project to use MED, the project has ignited a debate about the relative merits of the two technologies, providing more possibilities in competitively bid IWPPs.

• Hidd's finance package was put together without a hitch. Significantly, the project attracted funding from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) - the first time the export credit agency had lent money to a private finance deal in Bahrain.