ACWA Power, a developer, owner and operator of power generation and water desalination plants, has won the largest independent water desalination plant, Rabigh 3 IWP — further expanding its desalination capacity in Saudi Arabia. The water purchase agreement was signed by Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadley, minister of environment, water and agriculture and chairman of Water and Electricity Company (WEC), as WEC will act as the off-taker of the project.
Amongst 55 expressions of interest and five bidders, ACWA Power submitted the lowest tariff at $0.53/m3 and was selected to develop the desalination plant alongside the Saudi Brothers Commercial Company (SBCC) in Rabigh.
Rabigh 3 IWP will utilize reverse osmosis (RO) technology to yield a capacity of 600,000 cubic meters a day. The innovative design of this plant ensures the highest efficiency, reliability and availability for any comparable plant in the world. The water output will cater to the water demand of Makkah and Jeddah. This will ensure consistent and reliable water supply to the citizens of the two cities, especially during peak periods of demand such as Ramadan and Hajj.
Chairman of ACWA Power Mohammed Abunayyan said: “We take extreme pride in securing another milestone in the Kingdom that contributes to the welfare of Saudi Arabia’s economy and its citizens. As a private company, we work continuously to guarantee the right investment is being injected in the Kingdom through private-public partnerships to achieve the ambitious goals of the Saudi Vision 2030.
“Rabigh 3 IWP will deliver potable water at the lowest cost achieved to date for RO while consuming the least amount of power for each cubic meter of water produced and is consequently another important step in elevating living standards in the Kingdom. Rabigh 3 IWP will contribute to economic progress and increased employment opportunities, helping the Kingdom reach the highest levels of prosperity.”
Managing Director of ACWA Power Thamer Al-Sharhan said: “We are delighted to add another flagship project to our Kingdom’s portfolio, proving our consistent support to the Saudi economy and its people. The world’s largest reverse osmosis desalination plant validates the thesis that a local developer places the interests of the home country as its utmost priority, offering the lowest tariffs without compromising on reliability of water supply, all the while ensuring affordable clean water access to the citizens of Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Jeddah. We take pride in setting the direction and being a strong driver of the progressive vision of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
The Rabigh 3 IWP is being procured under a 25-year build-own-operate (BOO) contract and will commence commercial operation on Dec. 31, 2021.