ACWA Power-led consortium to build desalination plant in Saudi Arabia

A consortium led by ACWA Power is set to build a $650m water desalination project in Jubail to address water shortage issues in Saudi Arabia.

The consortium, which also includes Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC) and AlBawani Water & Power Company, has signed a 25-year water purchase agreement with the Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) for the sea water reverse osmosis desalination project.

As agreed, the consortium will design, construct, commission, operate and maintain the plant. It will also be responsible for associated potable water storage and electrical special facilities.

The Engineering Procurement Construction contract was secured by another consortium comprising Power China, SEPCO-III and Abengoa.

Once complete, the Jubail 3A Independent Water Plant (IWP) will have a capacity of producing 600,000m³ of potable water per day.

ACWA Power CEO Paddy Padmanathan said: “We continue to contribute strongly to the Kingdom’s National Water Strategy 2030 and Vision 2030 by utilising our considerable global expertise to provide solutions that best support national interests.

“We are delighted to collaborate with SWPC on this major project and are confident that the Jubail 3A IWP will play a significant role in enhancing critical water infrastructure for the country.”

Notably, desalinated water accounts for nearly 63% of total water consumed in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Water Partnership Company CEO Khaled Al Qureshi said: “In alignment with our mission to ensure adequate water production capacity for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we are keen to work closely with ACWA Power, a Saudi company with international expertise, as our trusted partner.

“The Jubail 3A is a highly significant project for the KSA water sector, featuring storage facilities as well as in-house solar power to reduce any burden on the energy grid.

“It will also be crucial in meeting growing water demand, supplying Riyadh, Qassim and the Eastern Provinces with much needed potable water.”