Saudi state water utility SWPC on 27 February signed build-own-operate agreements with France’s Engie and Saudi firm Mowah for the 450,000 m3/d Yanbu 4 desalination plant at Ar Rayyis on the Saudi Red Sea coast. The plant is slated for 1Q 2023 start-up to supply water to Mecca and Medina.
The independent water producer (IWP) project will incorporate reverse osmosis (RO) technology, the most efficient commercial desalination process (MEES, 6 March). SWPC chief executive Khalid al-Qureshi says the plant will include “solar energy units to reduce the electricity consumption from the grid” as well as water storage tanks with capacity of two operational days – that is 900,000 m3. (CONTINUED - 206 WORDS)
