Ras Al-Khaimah's Public Services Department (PSD) and Investment and Development Office (IDO) have invited prequalified companies to bid for a contract to develop and operate a sewage treatment plant (STP) in the UAE's northern emirate.

The proposed plant can treat 60,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d) of sewage, expandable to 150,000 cm/d.

According to a source close to the project, the scope of the build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) project will include extensive sewerage and distribution works.

It is understood that PSD and IDO expect to receive bids from prequalified developers by the end of November.

It is the first STP public-private partnership (PPP) that is being developed in Ras Al-Khaimah.

Etihad Water & Electricity (Etihad WE) met with developers in July to discuss another potential utility PPP project for the northern emirate.

The project involves extending an existing seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) plant in Ghalilah, which became operational in 2015.

If successfully procured, it will be the first independent water project in Ras Al-Khaimah.