Fluor wins EPC contract for Saudi Arabia RO manufacturing facility

US-based engineering construction company Fluor has secured an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract from Dow Chemical for a facility to manifucture water purifying reverse osmosis (RO) elements for drinking and industrial uses.

The facility is said to be located in Jubail Industrial City II at the Sadara Chemical Company complex in Saudi Arabia. It will produce Dow RO products such as Dow Filmtec brackish water RO elements and seawater RO elements. The products will be supplied to the local Saudi Arabian market, as well as the wider Middle East and Africa (MEA) region and markets with similar critical water needs, such as Eastern Europe, India, China and South East Asia.

RO elements are used for demineralising brackish water or desalinating seawater for the water treatment, power generation, food and drinks processing, municipal desalination and water reuse sectors.

Dow Water & Process Solutions global business director Snehal Desai said that the facility will bring bring enhanced capabilities and capacity to the company’s business in Saudi Arabia.

"This investment also complements our activities at the Dow KSA Research Center at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) where our research focuses specifically on RO solutions in combination with ultra-filtration (UF) pre-treatment for seawater desalination," Desai added.

Dow Saudi Arabia president Zuhair Allawi said: "Fluor has demonstrated extensive knowledge and experience within this field and we are confident that the team will bring significant added value to the project."

The facility is the first of its kind outside of the US for Dow. It is expected to commence operations by the end of 2015, and will create around 100 jobs.