KUWAIT CITY, Nov 11: According to informed sources, the State Audit Bureau (SAB) recently approved the Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy’s contract for the tender to develop and modernize steam boilers, control systems for thermal units, and auxiliary systems at the Doha West Power Generation and Water Distillation Plant, at a value of KD 173.180 million. They explained that the bureau approved the ministry’s contract with the winning company under the condition that the latter adhere to the terms, requirements, and technical specifications outlined in the tender.

The company is also required to provide a letter of commitment guaranteeing the supply of spare parts for 15 years, starting from the date the last unit becomes operational. SAB has requested certain documents to be included as part of the contract, including a pledge letter from the company to improve operational efficiency by at least 0.6 percent, extend the boilers’ lifespan by an additional 20-25 years, and ensure full adherence to the contract terms without any reservations. The bureau also requested the amended and approved price tables from the winning bidder, reflecting the distribution of the discount value to all items listed in the ministry’s letter No. 654/2023 dated 19/04/2023.

The bureau also mandated that the work covered in the ministry’s contracts and tenders related to the station, including the annual maintenance tender, should not overlap or duplicate. The bids must be studied within the timeframe specified in the referral letter from the Central Agency for Public Tenders (CAPT). This is to prevent the lowest-priced bidder from withdrawing from the bidding process, which could place additional financial strain on the public in the future. The study period for the tender was set at 103 days, with the approval validity period limited to 90 days, per clause 8-first of the SAB’s circular No. 6/2018. The sources said the Doha West Station is a critical facility for the ministry, as it provides a total installed capacity of 2,541 megawatts, which is achieved through eight steam units, each generating 300 megawatts, and five gas units, each producing 28.2 megawatts.

By Mohammed Ghanem Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff