Western Asia

Acwa Power’s fully owned desalination plant in Makkah opens ahead of schedule – Saudi Arabia

Utility developer Acwa Power announced the commercial start-up of a desalination project in Saudi Arabia’s western region of Makkah ahead of schedule.

The Shuaibah Expansion II scheme, which has the capacity to generate 250,000 cubic metres of water per day, began commercial operations in May.

The plant was built at a cost of $314 million (Dh1.15 billion) and was inaugurated by Prince Khalid bin Faisal, Governor of Makkah province.

Abengoa inaugurates the Shuaibah desalination plant in Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia

Abengoa (MCE: ABG/P:SM), the international company that applies innovative technology solutions for sustainability in the infrastructures, energy and water sectors, has inaugurated together with its partner Fisia Italiampianti a reverse osmosis desalination plant in the Shuaibah complex, in Saudi Arabia.

The Project is the largest desalination plant built by Abengoa to date, with a capacity of 250,000 m³/day. In addition, the Project has already produced 20 million cubic meters of desalinated water since the successful completion of the tests required for the Project.

Abengoa and Fisia Italiampianti were responsible for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the Project.

Acwa Power, Mubadala ink UAQ desalination plant agreement – Saudi

Saudi-based Acwa Power, a global leader in water desalination and power generation, said its consortium with MDC Power Holding Company, an entity fully owned by Mubadala Investment Company, has entered into a water purchase agreement with Federal Electricity & Water Authority (Fewa) for a 150-million-gallons-per-day desalination plant to be located in the northern emirate of Umm Al Quwain.

Under the terms of the agreement, Fewa will hold 20 per cent of the stake, while Acwa Power and Mubadala will each own 40 per cent of the plant, which will utilise seawater reverse osmosis technology.

Saudi to privatize 20 desalination and sewage plants – Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is planning to privatize 20 water desalination and sewage plants within a strategy to expand the private sector and boost public revenue as part of its Vision 2030 development blueprint, an official was quoted on Tuesday as saying.

The projects include 11 water desalination facilities with a combined output capacity of 4.3 million cubic metres per day and 9 sewage plants with a capacity of 1.1 million cubic metres per day, said Abdul Rahman Al-Zughaibi, Undersecretary for Economic and Investment Affairs at the Environment, Water and Agriculture Ministry.

He told the Arabic language daily Aleqtisadia that three targeted desalination plants are based in the Eastern port of Jubail, a desalination unit in the Western Red Sea port of Yanbu and a sewage plant in Taif in West Saudi Arabia.

78 million m³ of potable water unaccounted for last year – Oman

An estimated 78.6 million cubic metres of potable water, representing 21.6 per cent of the total output of desalinated and groundwater handled by Oman’s Public Authority for Water (Diam), remained unaccounted for in 2018.

Unaccounted for Water (UFW) —typically attributed to leaks in underground pipeline systems, metering errors and unbilled metres — represents a significant share of Diam’s revenues and is the subject of intensive mitigation efforts.

Those efforts helped bring down water losses linked to UFW from 24.3 per cent (equivalent to 98.3 million cubic metres) in 2017 to 21.6 per cent last year, according to Diam’s Executive Chairman, Mohammed bin Abdullah al Mahrouqi.

Spanish firm Abengoa delivers key power transmission project for Oman’s OETC- Oman

Abengoa, a Spanish-based international firm specialising in infrastructure, energy and water projects, has announced the successful completion of a major electricity transmission project in the Sultanate.

The client is Oman Electricity Transmission Company (OETC), the state-owned utility part of Nama Group that oversees the operation of the nations two main grids in the north and south of the country.

Abengoa developed the construction, supply, assembly and commissioning of two new substations of 132/33 kV, one in Samad and one in Sinaw, and more than 60 km of overhead transmission lines of 132 kV associated with them, whose main technical challenge was to cross the mountainous areas of the interior of Oman.

Abu Dhabi launches new policy on recycled water – Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE) has announced the launch of a ‘Recycled Water Policy,’ that will ensure optimal use of recycled water in the emirate.

Announced during a workshop held by DoE, which was attended by all concerned parties, the policy supports efforts to preserve Abu Dhabi’s water resources, including drinking and underground water, in order to meet the future needs of all sectors.

Developed in cooperation with the Treated Wastewater Reuse Committee, the ‘Recycled Water Policy’ reinforces its role in ensuring sustainable supplies of recycled water through the distribution companies, said a statement from the DoE.

Chinese tech giant Huawei enters into Israeli solar energy market – China

Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies announced its entry into the Israeli solar energy market on Wednesday, one day after confirming the closure of its solar operations in the United States.

Huawei, the world’s leading inverter supplier, has signed an agreement with Zing Energy – which represents the Chinese company in Israel – to install solar inverters in several 30-megawatt solar farm projects across the country.

Solar inverters are a critical instrument for the conversion of DC power produced by solar panels into AC power, suitable for the electric grid.

DEWA invites Expression of Interest for 120 MIGD Hassyan Sea Water Reverse Osmosis Project – Dubai

Dubai: Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) released an invitation for interested companies to apply for Expression of Interests (EOIs) for the 120 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD) Hassyan Sea Water Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) project, for competent companies that work based on the Independent Water Producer (IWP) model to enter the project.

The deadline to apply for the EOI is 9 July 2019, and this project will be DEWA’s first IWP project.

Last May, DEWA appointed a consortium including Ernst & Young (E&Y), CMS, and WSP as advisors to the project.

“This project supports the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to promote sustainable development.

Dewa inaugurates Simulator and Training Centre – Dubai

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has launched the Simulator and Training Centre at its Jebel Ali Power Plant & Desalination Complex.

Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dewa inaugurated the centre, which Dewa built in collaboration with Siemens. It is the first-of-its-kind in the Arabian Gulf region and the biggest Siemens Simulator of-its-kind worldwide. It aims to enhance the capabilities of engineers and technicians at Dewa.

Al Tayer noted that the Simulator and Training Centre will contribute to consolidating Emiratisation of engineering and technical jobs at Dewa, providing a unique experience to those working in the Generation division. This is achieved using state-of-the-art technologies and best international practices that enable trainees to experience real-life conditions and provide them with the skills needed for dealing with different circumstances.

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