Rising water demands require Saudi Arabia to invest $80bn for desalination by 2025

Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) in Saudi Arabia intends to spend around $80bn by 2025 to increase desalinated water production in the country in order to meet its rising demands for potable water.

The state-owned agency has a current daily capacity for producing 3.6 million m³ of water, which is a lot less than the 8.5 million m³ limit required by the end of 2025 to cater to the local needs.

Population in the country is expected to reach 39.1 million by 2030, which in turn, is likely to raise the consumption rates as well to nearly 1600 liters per capita per day.

The situation has prompted Saudi Arabia to drive efforts for sustainable water production and control the rising demands, for which the country has also recently announced a 50% tariff increase for water usage in government offices and commercial companies.

Advanced Water Technology is a subsidiary of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) technology and investment company TAQNIA.

Advanced Water Technology CEO Dr Abdullah Al-AlShaikh said: "Technology plays a major role in solving the diminishing supply and increasing demand challenge in KSA.

"But it is important to remember that it is the bulk gathering or the critical mass of technologies applied to the complete water value chain, upstream and downstream, that will ultimately provide solutions.

"There is no one-size-fits-all approach. We must be moving on all fronts, simultaneously."

SWCC intends to double energy efficiency of the desalination processes used in the country from the current level of about 26%-27% to 54-55% as well, and will be focusing on renewables to fulfil the target.

The agency is developing the $130m solar-powered Al Khafji desalination facility in the country, which is in line with its intention to drive sustainable methods of potable water production.

Expected to be completed by 2017, the plant is expected to offer 60,000m³ of water for the Al Khafji City in north eastern parts of the country throughout the year.

The plant will be powered by solar photovoltaic energy and represents a joint venture between Advanced Water Technology and Abengoa.