Saline Water Conversion to open desalination plant in Jeddah

The Saudi Arabia-based state-owned Saline Water Conversion (SWCC) has announced its plans to launch the new desalination plant in the city of Jeddah.

Makkah Governor Prince Khalid Al Faisal will inaugurate the desalination station, which has been designed with a capacity to produce 240,000 cubic metres of water.

SWCC, which is responsible for desalinating seawater and supplying potable water to the coastal and inland cities of Saudi Arabia, has constructed the plant, while National Water Company has built the ten kilometre long pipeline.

The station, using reverse osmosis technology, is expected to increase the desalinated water capacity that reaches Jeddah from Shuaybah Station 3.

Saline Water Conversion governor Abd Ar-Rahman Al-Ibrahim was quoted by Arab News as saying that the new plant will increase the capacity of water pumped in Jeddah.

"The new station does not work on fuel and it is environment friendly," Al-Ibrahim added.

Al-Ibrahim also noted that the plant will consume less energy and use smart networks and designs.

Once operational, the station will increase the capacity of water desalination at SWCC to 1.3 million cubic metres daily.

"The station has been ready to pump some time ago, but we had to coordinate with various parties and sectors during the period, which Shuaybah Station 3 was under maintenance. We did not want the people of Jeddah to suffer any shortages."

SWCC western coast branch director general and project in charge Muhammad Ath Thibaiti said the company decommissioned the second Jeddah desalination plant before it started working on the new station.

"The capacity of the old station was 40,000 cubic metres only," Thibaiti added.

"The new station is state of the art and does not use fuel. It has no chimneys, works by reverse osmosis and is environment-friendly."

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Image: The new desalination plant will use reverse osmosis technology and is expected to increase water supply to the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Photo courtesy of James Grellier.