EXCLUSIVE: Abu Dhabi plans independent water project
02 November, 2017 | By Andrew Roscoe
Abu Dhabi Electricity & Water Authority (Adwea) is planning to oversee the development of the emirate’s first independent water project (IWP).
Adwea recently received bids from firms to provide technical advisory services for the proposed reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plant.
The advisory contract will involve determining the final capacity of the plant and location. The capacity is expected to be about 50 million imperial gallons a day (MIGD), which could be extended up to 80 MIGD in a couple of phases.
Possible sites are believed to be:
- Mirfa
- Umm al-Nar
- Taweelah
- Emirates Aluminium site
- Fujairah
While Abu Dhabi has implemented several independent water and power projects (IWPPs) over the past 20 years, the planned IWP would be the emirate’s first privately financed standalone desalination plant.
Traditionally in the GCC’s utilities sector, desalination capacity, mainly thermal, was coupled with power in cogeneration plants. However, this is now starting to change, with the emergence of seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) as a less energy-intensive technology.
The decoupling of desalination from power plants will assist with providing a more efficient supply of water when required, particularly with the significant power capacity due to come online from the under-construction 5.6GW Baraka nuclear power plant in the coming three years.
Saudi Arabia is also planning to develop several major IWPs in the coming years, having previously developed desalination supply in cogeneration facilities.
Related Posts
Finance ministry says VAT rate remains unchanged at 5 per cent
The UAE government has dismissed rumours that the rate of value-added tax (VAT) would be raised in line with Saudi Arabia’s ...
READ MORE
GCC governments are now setting up their own export credit agencies
Over the past decade, using export finance has become an increasingly popular tool for delivering projects in the Middle East.
Despite ...
READ MORE
Deteriorating market conditions are threatening the delivery of major projects in the emirate
As the trading conditions for construction companies continue to deteriorate, there are growing calls from contractors for more ...
READ MORE
The construction supply chain can greatly benefit from the application of supply chain management
As the oil economies of the Gulf continue their rapid transition from growth driven by state-backed capital ...
READ MORE
The GCC’s Healthcare sector has been growing due to several demand drivers like population growth, increasing insurance coverage and availability of skilled manpower. These growth drivers coupled with government initiatives ...
READ MORE
Tanmia Capital director Samer Srouji considers whether GCC currencies should maintain their fixed exchange rate with the US dollar in the post-oil era
For more than three decades, GCC economies have benefited ...
READ MORE
Buyers and suppliers stand to benefit from the greater transparency and coordination enabled by the digitalisation of supply chain finance platforms, says Mashreq Bank
Global study indicates $1tn gap ...
READ MORE
Investors require a concerted display of political will to engage in the hundred billion dollars-worth of planned PPP projects across the region
Sustained low oil prices between 2015 and 2017 drove ...
READ MORE
Contractors have submitted offers for packages B and C of stage 2
Etihad Rail is evaluating bids from contractors for two more construction packages on the UAE’s 1,200-kilometre federal railway.
Firms have submitted bids ...
READ MORE
Protectionist trade policies allow for short-term gains, but may erode long-term competitive capabilities, says the UAE’s manufacturing regulator
This article is the second in a series that captures key highlights from ...
READ MORE
UAE will not follow Saudi Arabia VAT hike
Levelling the export credit playing field
Dubai contractors look for regulation to counter conspiring
Removing barriers in the value chain
Integrated Sports Health and Wellness – A growing
Time for Gulf economies to rethink the dollar
Digitalisation can help close $1tn supply chain finance
Finding a regional model for PPP
Etihad Rail evaluates construction bids
Building competitive industries in the UAE
02 November, 2017 | .By Andrew Roscoe
