ASAR - Al Ruwayeh & Partners (ASAR) is pleased to advise that the firm is part of the successful consortium that was recently awarded the bid to provide transaction advisory services to the Kuwait Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) and the Partnerships Technical Bureau (PTB) with respect to the Al Zour Independent Water and Power Producer (IWPP) Project in Kuwait.  This is the first ever IWPP project to be initiated in Kuwait. 

The PTB, in March 2010, awarded and signed the Transaction Advisory Services Contract with the consortium comprised of BNP Paribas, Chadbourne & Parke and Lahmeyer International. 

ASAR will act as Kuwaiti local legal counsel and will provide local legal support to the consortium with respect to the advisory services given to the MEW and the PTB.

In line with its strategy to promote and support increased private sector participation in the infrastructure development, the State of Kuwait established the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Program through the promulgation of Law 7 of 2008 (the BOT Law) that has set the foundation for the implementation of infrastructure PPP projects in Kuwait. The PTB, as the focal point agent for the PPP Program, plans to develop and manage Kuwait's first public private partnership power project, implemented under the BOT Law in the form of this IWPP.  

The Al Zour IWPP will have a capacity of 1500 MW (Net Power) and 100 MIGPD of desalinated water.  The project will be developed as an Independent Water and Power Producer (IWPP) Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) or conventional thermal power plant with a seawater based desalination plant.

A special purpose vehicle will be created by the government and a private developer to design, construct, finance, operate, and maintain the IWPP.
 
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Electricity and Water will be the off taker and shall buy the output of the plant under a long term Power Purchase Agreement.