Hidd Power Company (HPC), which has been maintaining a low profile as a major producer of power and water in Bahrain, is at Gulf Industry Fair to create awareness that the company is supplying 33 per cent of the power and 60 per cent of the total water consumed in the country.

The first independent power producer in Bahrain, the company operates the Hidd Power Plant under a 20-year agreement with the Electricity and Water Authority of Bahrain, stated the production director Rosli Abdul Hamid.

Under the agreement, HPC supplies from its Hidd plant to a main substation in Manama. The plant has a capacity to generate 1,000 MW of power using combined cycle technology using six generators - five gas turbines with a capacity of 135 MW and one steam turbine producing 300 MW.

HPC can produce 90 million gallons of potable water every day, which is enough to fill 164 Olympic-size swimming pools, explained Abdul Hamid.

The desalination unit uses two advanced technology processes: producing 30 million gallons per day (mgpd) using the MSF (multi-stage flash) technology and 60 mgpd using MED (multi-effect distillation). The water meets the quality standards laid down by the World Health Organisation.

“Our primary goal is to generate power and produce water in the most efficient way,” added Hamid.

HPC, which employs 60 Bahrainis, is backed by and has access to the experience of three major internationals: Malakoff Corporation, Sumitomo Corporation and GDF Suez.

“We have been a reliable supplier to the country for the past eight years and are keen to continue doing so in years to come,” added Abdul Hamid.-TradeArabia News Service