An independent water and power project planned by Ras al Khaimah Investment Authority will use coal feedstock because of growing concern over the availability of gas in the region. Ras al Khaimah will issue a request for proposals for the emirate’s first coal-fired power plant in February 2009. The plan includes a maximum capacity of planned Mina Saqr 1 power plant of 600MW and another maximum capacity of planned Al Hamra 2 power plant of 120MW. The planned Mina Saqr 1 plant is the first phase of a complex that could ultimately house 4000MW of coal-fired power generation capacity. The plant will be built at Mina Saqr in the north of the emirate, 110km NE of Dubai and 20km SW of the Omani border. The successful bidder will develop, design, finance, engineer, procure, construct and test the first phase of the complex. The developer will also construct coal-handling and ash-disposal facilities, and associated infrastructure. Coal for the project will be transported from Mina Saqr, which already has bulk handling facilities. Ras al Khaimah expects to import the coal feedstock for the plant from an Indonesian mine in which it holds a majority stake.