Western Asia

Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Finds Way Out of Deficits in Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia

Hit hard by the Korean government’s ill-advised nuclear phase-out policy, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction (DHIC) has been desperate to make a turnaround. The company announced on April 28 that it managed to turn a profit in the first quarter on a rebound in overseas sales.

DHIC posted 4,004.7 trillion won in sales, 372.1 billion won in operating profit and 248.1 billion won in net profit in the first quarter on a consolidated basis.

Its sales rose slightly on year while operating profit and net profit soared by 315.6 billion won and 619.5 billion won, respectively.

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Utico wins Hassyan water reservoir project contract – United Arab Emirates

Utico, a full service utility company in Middle East and the only private water and power company in the UAE, said it has secured a a major contract from Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) for the development of its 120 million imperial gallons (MIG) Hassyan water reservoir project.

The Hassyan IWP project’s storage reservoir is for 60 MIG expandable to 120 MIG, while the desalination plant project capacity is 120 MIG per day with facilities to expand to 240 MIGD production per day. 

This $80-million contract comes as an addition to the largest Independent Water Project (IWP) in Dubai – the Hassyan Sea Water Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) – which is a game-changer for its world’s lowest water tariff and potential to be expanded to the largest desalination project globally, said the statement from Utico.

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Acciona announces completion of Jebel Ali SWRO desalination plant – United Arab Emirates

Following achieving a major construction milestone, Acciona says that the Jebel Ali Sea Water Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant is now producing water at 100% capacity. 

The desalination plant was built by Acciona and Besix and is owned by Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA).

According to a statement, the plant has begun its daily production of 182m liters of potable water and is already supplying the city’s water network.

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€36 million from the EU, France, and the World Bank to build the Hebron Regional Waste Water Treatment Plant – Palestine

Prime Minister Dr. Mohammad Ishtayyeh, the Consul General of France, the EU Representative, and the AFD Country Director together with the Head of the Palestinian Water Authority, Hebron Governor and representatives of the local community laid the corner stone for the Hebron Regional Waste Water Treatment Plant in Hebron.

At completion, the plant will serve around 400,000 people living in Hebron City and along Wadi As-Samen in Hebron Governorate and will pave the way to treated water reuse for agricultural purpose.

Sewage from the Hebron Governorate runs untreated through populated areas (Wadi As-Samen) causing a substantial damage to the aquifer and the health of the residents. Safeguarding water and the environment is key towards sustainable development and ensuring a better future for all Palestinians.

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UAE Ministry of Energy to host Arab Water Forum – United Arab Emirates

The UAE Ministry of Energy is hosting the fifth Arab Water Forum (AWF5) later this year, which will focus on Arab water security for peace and sustainable development.

More than 800 high-level participants including industry experts and government officials will attend the forum that will take place in Abu Dhabi from September 21 to 23, the organisers said on Wednesday.

The event is backed by the Arab League and the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of Egypt.

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ACWA Power inaugurates KSA’s first utility-scale renewable energy project – Saudi Arabia

The inauguration of Sakaka PV IPP marks a pivotal moment in the continued energy diversification and development plans of Saudi Arabia.

The project was awarded to an ACWA Power-led consortium at a world record tariff, at the time, of 8.781 halalas/kWh in 2018, which has paved the way for subsequent projects of the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP) to lower the cost of clean solar electricity in the Kingdom.

Al Gihaz Holding, a major Saudi contractor and investor, owns a 30% stake in the Sakaka Solar Energy Company (SSEC), alongside ACWA Power’s 70% stake, and was instrumental in both the investment, engineering, procurement, and construction of the project.

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Works on $598mn Umm Al Quwain water desalination plant over 70% complete – United Arab Emirates

Officials have announced that over 70% of works have been completed on a major water desalination project in Umm Al Quwain.

The new plant is being developed across an area of 250,000sqm and is being developed at a cost of $598m.

According to a statement, the desalination plant will have four networks, with two being connected to the water supplies of the new water distribution centre in Al Khuraija, Ras Al Khaimah, while another will be connected to water supplies in Al Burairat, and another in Umm Al Quwain.

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Financial close reached for Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu-4 IWP – Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC), as part of an alliance with a consortium comprised of France-headquartered ENGIE (40%) and Saudi based Nesma (30%) and Mowah (30%), recently achieved financial closure for the Yanbu-4 independent water producer (IWP) plant.

The Yanbu-4 IWP plant is the first renewable integrated, seawater reverse osmosis project in the Kingdom that includes storage facilities for two operational days.

The consortium, led by one of the world’s leading low-carbon energy and service solution providers, ENGIE, was awarded the Yanbu-4 project in February 2020 after submitting a successful bid with tariff of SAR 1.7446 halalas per cubic meter of produced water.

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Abu Dhabi committed to transitioning to clean and renewable forms of energy: DoE Chairman – United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi’s energy sector is committed to supporting the global climate change agenda and the transformation to clean and renewable energy systems, said Awaidha Murshed Al Marar, Chairman of Abu Dhabi’s Department of Energy (DoE) today.

Al Marar was speaking ahead of the first Regional Summit on Climate, which is being held in Abu Dhabi on April 5th. The event is taking place before the Leaders’ Summit on Climate in Washington this month, and the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which takes place in November in Glasgow, UK.

“Thanks to the directives of the wise leadership, Abu Dhabi and the UAE are making pioneering efforts to fulfill their obligations towards reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, limiting the phenomenon of climate change, and achieving the highest levels of sustainability in the energy sector,” he said.

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New Salalah desalination plant commences commercial operation – Oman

Abengoa Agua, the water division of Spanish based international infrastructure and energy specialist, has announced the successful completion of the construction of a reverse osmosis desalination plant in Salalah.

The 113,500 cubic metres /day capacity desalination plant has been built for a consortium led by ACWA Power and also composed of Veolia and Dhofar International for Investment and Development Co SAOG.

The Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) has acted as offtaker.

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