EXCLUSIVE: Abu Dhabi plans independent water project

Desalination plant

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
Abu Dhabi oil opens up assets to global investors
State oil producer had already shown signs of a change in partnership strategy Lower oil prices over the last three years have forced national oil companies (NOCs) in the Middle East ...
READ MORE
Report: Future of EPC in a Sustainable World
How the engineering and construction sector can enable the delivery of clean energy projects in the region. Download industry report Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies have played a crucial role in ...
READ MORE
Retail banking faces severe trial under Covid-19
Coronavirus outbreak accelerates digital transformation, but also provides a stress-test for financial institutions Click here to download MEED’s Covid-19 retail banking sector analysis Covid-19 and the accompanying period of economic paralysis is leaving ...
READ MORE
Etihad railway to drive logistics growth
Some packages in the next stage of Etihad railway will link the UAE’s major ports The procurement process for the next stage of the UAE’s Etihad railway is now in full swing. Contractors ...
READ MORE
Building Future Cities
  Why the Gulf is set to lead the world in urban planning development and management One of the most significant long-term trends around the world is the movement of the human ...
READ MORE
EXCLUSIVE: Saudi Arabia to privatise world’s largest desalination plant
Ras al-Khair power and water facility will be first of kingdom’s state-owned desalination plants to be privatised Saudi Arabia’s Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) has invited consultants to bid for advisory ...
READ MORE
UAE maintains its economic course
Growth holds despite negative inflation and weaker project activity
READ MORE
Gulf airlines reach a plateau
Gulf airlines are responding to new market conditions with increased cooperation The headline number made good reading when Emirates Airline released its results for the first half of its financial year on 7 ...
READ MORE
EXCLUSIVE: Phase one of Kuwait heavy oil scheme to be finished March 2019
The Kuwait Oil Company project is worth $4.1bn The first phase of the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) Ratqa Lower Fars Heavy Oil megaproject is on course to be completed in March ...
READ MORE
Seven firms approached for UAE coal project
Seven developers were issued expression of interest documents Northern Emirates utility Federal Electricity & Water Authority (Fewa) has invited seven companies to submit expressions of interest (EOI) for its planned 1.8GW ...
READ MORE
Abu Dhabi oil opens up assets to global
Report: Future of EPC in a Sustainable World
Retail banking faces severe trial under Covid-19
Etihad railway to drive logistics growth
Building Future Cities
EXCLUSIVE: Saudi Arabia to privatise world’s largest desalination
UAE maintains its economic course
Gulf airlines reach a plateau
EXCLUSIVE: Phase one of Kuwait heavy oil scheme
Seven firms approached for UAE coal project
02 November, 2017 | .By Andrew Roscoe