Accra Sea Water Desalination Plant

The Accra desalination plant uses reverse osmosis technique to convert sea water into potable water.

Reverse osmosis racks and pumping facilities of the Accra desalination plant.

The plant utilises 146,400 cubic metres of raw intake water.

Interior view of the Accra desalination plant.

Reverse osmosis racks of the Accra desalination plant.

Official inauguration of Accra desalination plant was held in April 2015.

The Accra sea water desalination plant is located at Nungua in the Kpeshie district, and is the first desalination plant built in Ghana.

The plant started commercial operation in March 2015 and was officially inaugurated in April 2015.

The $125m project has a capacity to desalinate 60,000m³ of sea water a day providing fresh water to more than 300,000 people in various municipalities of the Greater Accra administrative region. It marks a significant step in improving drinking water facilities in the country, which is witnessing rapid population growth.

The plant was designed, constructed and is being operated by Befesa Desalination Developments Ghana, a joint venture of Abengoa Water Investments Ghana, Daye Water Investment (Ghana), and local partner Hydrocol.

Befesa operates and will maintain the plant for 25 years.

Construction started in November 2012, creating 400 direct and indirect jobs in the region.

Purpose of Ghana’s first desalination plant

Accra has an estimated population of three million people. With a growing population, Ghana is struggling to meet the required water demands of the people from surrounding towns and villages. The existing water resources are enough to meet 50% of the 800,000m³/day of water required.

To address this issue, the Ghanaian authorities have prioritised water supply projects under the country’s Economic Recovery Programme.

The Accra sea water desalination plant was constructed as a part of the programme and supplies drinking water to more than 500,000 residents in the towns of Teshie, Nungua, and Tema. It also helps reduce water shortages in the area and contributes to the growth of the local economy.

Background to the Accra desalination project

A contract was signed between Abengoa and Ghana Water Limited Company (GWCL) for the construction and operation of a new desalination plant in the town of Nungua in April 2011.

The design, build, operate, maintain, own and transfer (DBOT) contract also included the installation of infrastructure required for the seawater intake, an ultra-filtration pre-treatment system, desalination technology, and efficient energy recovery solutions.

The GWCL buys the potable water from the company through a purchase agreement and distributes it to residents and businesses in the Teshie-Nungua area. The project is expected to generate revenue of approximately $1.3m over a 25-year period.

Accra sea water desalination plant details

The project involves the construction of a 60,000m³/day seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant in a 6.1-acre site situated at the beachfront, 400m west of the Nungua fish landing site.

The desalination plant includes four trains, which feature two high-pressure pumps, one standby pump and 12 energy recovery systems each. The plant uses reverse osmosis to convert sea water into potable water. It converts half of the intake into potable produce, while the remaining drains out through outfall brine.

The plant utilises 146,400m³ of raw intake water to produce 60,000m³ of potable water and 70,000m³ of rejected brine a day.

Other facilities constructed on the site include an intake pipe, an outfall pipe and a parking lot. The outfall pipe is 150m and features four diffusers located 4m apart. The outfall is buried in a covered trench to protect it from the sea waves.

Water from the desalination plant is being delivered to a GWCL connection point by Befesa Desalination Developments Ghana through pipes.

Financing

The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) sanctioned a loan of $179m for the project in November 2012.

Investors have applied for MIGA guarantees for a period of up to 20 years for the equity investments, 14 years for the shareholder loans, and 12 years for the non-shareholder loans.