Bahrain will the winner of a contract to advise on a pilot renewable energy power plant for the kingdom. Yesterday, the of the smallest GCC country opened commercial bids for the contract from the three firms that had passed a technical evaluation process earlier this month. Germany's submitted the lowest bid of BD 346,000 (Dh3.4 million). The UK's bid BD576,000, while the US firm bid Bd1.86m. As well as advising on the pilot project, the selected bider will conduct a feasibility and assessment study for renewable energy technology in Bahrain. The pilot facility is aimed at practical research to further the development of commercial projects. It is expected to be a hybrid wind and solar plant. As it will be located on an island, we wonder whether Bahrain's research facility might investigate novel concepts such as the vertical-axis wind turbine . Its design uses fluid dynamic principles learnt from observing schools of fish. We think this is cool.