IRAN – The desalination capacity of Hormozgan Province will increase by 40,000 m3 to 170,000 m3/d in March. Last month Bandar Abbas desalination plant became operational and started producing 200,000 m3/d water which is transported to Kerman and Yazd via a 300-km pipeline and seven pumping stations. (Financial Tribune)
In the 38th week of the Energy Ministry’s A-B-Iran program, 3 water projects and 20 electricity projects were inaugurated in the provinces of Zanjan, Qom, Isfahan and Semnan. The 23 projects combined cost $163.33 million and included desalination plants, a wastewater project and repair and reconstruction of water transmission lines. (Tehran Times)
SAUDI ARABIA – Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co. has won a $707.8 million contract to build a seawater desalination plant in Saudi Arabia. Doosan Heavy signed a deal to build the Yanbu 4 Independent Water Plant Project (IWPP) facility with a consortium including Engie SA and Mowah and Nesma. The project will be located 260 kilometres north of Jeddah, at Rayis Centre in the Madinah Region. The plant will have a production capacity of 408,233 m3/d and is expected to become operational by 2023. (Utilities Middle East)
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO – Last week the Point Fortin desalination plant was operating at reduced capacity due to planned electrical maintenance. Normally the Seven Seas Water Unlimited owned and operated plant supplies 25,458 m3/d water to the Water and Sewerage Authority, which is used to supply Point Fortin and parts of La Brea. (Trinidad & Tobago Guardian)
SINGAPORE – Keppel Infrastructure Trust (KIT) is still planning to acquire the remaining 30 percent stake in Hyflux’s SingSpring desalination plant. According to the chief executive of KIT’s trustee-manager, KIT is in touch with Hyflux’s judicial managers regarding the process. (The Business Times)
An aerial view of California American Water’s proposed desalination location. Credit: California American Water via Google Earth
U.S.A. – A Monterey County Superior Court judge has rejected the county’s approval of California American Water’s (Cal Am) desalination plant project over its rational for why the project’s benefits would outweigh environmental impacts in a lawsuit brought by the Marina Coast Water District.
The judge also rejected a bid by Marina Coast to require the county to conduct additional environmental reviews for the project. In addition, the judge lifted a stay on the plant construction, which was put in place pending a state Coastal Commission decision on Cal Am’s appeal of the Marina city denial of a permit of the project’s feeder wells. (Monterey Herald)