The Emirates Water
and Electricity Company (EWEC) and Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power have
signed a water purchase agreement for the construction of the world’s largest
sea water reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plant at Taweelah Power and Water
Complex. The project will be constructed 50 km north of Abu Dhabi, at a cost of
up to US $900m.
The project is expected to be complete by 2022. The
engineering, procurement, and construction contract for the power plant will be
undertaken by a joint venture of Abengoa and PowerChina.
According to President and CEO of ACWA Power, Paddy
Padmanathan, their decision to bid for the plant project demonstrates the company’s
confidence in EWEC as a reliable partner and confirms their commitment to
contribute to the development of the United Arab Emirates by increasing the
company’s participation in the power generation and water desalination sectors.
“Through the Taweelah RO plant project and the
enabling environment provided by Abu Dhabi, we are proud to be setting new
global bench marks in both the cost of desalinated water and the energy
consumed in producing that water,” he added.
ACWA Power will own a 40% stake in a project that
will be developed to be responsible for the Taweelah IWP. The remaining stake
will belong to Abu Dhabi
Power Corporation and
its affiliates. Emirates Water and Electricity Company will be the off-taker
for the project.
The plant is expected to deliver 909,200 cubic metres of water per day to support the industries and the community at Al Taweelah and the surrounding areas. The plant will also play a role in catering to Abu Dhabi’s peak water demand, which is expected to rise by 11% between 2017 and 2024. The project will set a world record by utilising the lowest amount of energy per gallon of desalinated water produced.https://constructionreviewonline.com/2019/09/uae-to-construct-worlds-largest-sea-water-ro-desalination-plant/
