SAUDI ARABIA – ACWA Power, along with Haji Abdullah Alireza & Co (HAACO) and Al Moayyed Contracting Group (AMCG), has signed an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract with a consortium of Power China, SEPCOIII, and WETICO for the Rabigh 4 Independent Water Plant (IWP) project in Saudi Arabia. The Rabigh 4 IWP, with a total project cost of $677 million, will have a capacity of 600,000 m3/day and will mainly serve the Makkah and Madinah regions. ACWA Power currently operates the Rabigh 3 IWP in the same area and, with the addition of Rabigh 4 IWP, will double its desalination capacity in the region to 1.2 million m3/day and 6.8 million m3/day across its portfolio, making it the largest private producer of desalinated water globally. Financial close for the project is expected in Q3 2023. (Hydrogen Central)
U.S.A. – California-based hydrogen developer Ohmium and Netherlands-based desalination company Aquastill have formed a partnership to produce green hydrogen fuel from desalinated ocean water. Ohmium develops green hydrogen electrolyzers, while Aquastill provides desalinated water systems that use waste heat as an input. The partnership aims to use residual heat from Ohmium's electrolysis process to power desalination, offering co-benefits in cooling Ohmium's system. The collaboration is exploring the optimization of integrating modular systems that can be scaled from megawatt to gigawatt scale. Offshore wind energy and solar are identified as potential electricity sources for the system. (PV Magazine)
PORTUGAL – The construction of the desalination plant in Albufeira, Algarve, has moved closer as Águas do Algarve, the region's water management company, has submitted the environmental impact study. The plant is set to receive around $55.6 million in funding from the EU's Recovery and Resilience Programme. Once the Portuguese environment agency APA gives the green light, the construction tender can be released. The desalination plant, located in the Rocha Baixinha area of Albufeira, is expected to produce 43,835 m3/d of fresh water, meeting over 20% of the Algarve's public supply needs. APA has up to five months to deliver its Environmental Impact Assessment and issue an Environmental Impact Statement for the tender to proceed. (Portugal Resident)
NAMIBIA – The cabinet of Namibia has given approval for the construction of $238 million central coast desalination plant in Namibia, as announced by Erongo Governor Neville André. The necessary land has been secured, and abstraction permits have been obtained for the project. The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform is actively working to expedite the development, addressing water challenges faced by various industries and communities. The desalination plant aims to alleviate water demand in coastal towns and mines in the Erongo region, reducing production interruptions. Additionally, Orano's Erongo Desalination Plant has partnered with InnoSun Energy Holdings to provide solar power, making the facility more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. (Namibia Economist)
Construction of a $238 million central coast desalination plant in Namibia gets the green light. Credit: Namibia Economist
SPAIN – The desalination plant in Marbella on the Costa del Sol is set to double its capacity by the first half of 2024, as confirmed by the regional minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, Carmen Crespo. Managed by public water company Acosol, the expansion is part of the third drought decree of the Andalusian regional government, aiming to increase the treated amount to 1.2 million m3 from the current 600,000 m3. This enhancement will better serve the summer seasons, especially when the local population surges to almost 1.5 million due to tourist influx. The Junta de Andalucía has allocated $3.65 million to the project, and there is an additional $22.1 million plan to modernize the Río Verde drinking water treatment station. (SUR in English)
SAUDI ARABIA – Saudi Arabia's Saline Water Conversion Corp. (SWCC) has become the world's largest producer of desalinated water, achieving a record production capacity of 11.5 m3/d. This accomplishment aligns with SWCC's goal of reducing carbon emissions by 37 million tons by the end of 2025, as stated in its second annual sustainability report. SWCC's assets, including production, transportation, and storage, have been transferred to the Public Investment Fund-owned Water Solutions Co, allowing global expansion to meet increasing demand for urban water use. The report also emphasizes SWCC's role in supplying water to Saudi cities and provinces, especially during the Haj and Umrah seasons, as the nation faces water scarcity challenges. (ARAB NEWS)
PHILIPPINES – A $244,000 solar-powered desalination water system is set to be constructed in the island barangay of Concepcion, Iloilo, providing potable water to 213 households. The project, funded under the Philippine Rural Development Project with contributions from the Department of Agriculture and the provincial government, aims to address the islet's lack of a potable water source. The desalination machine, powered by solar energy, will process seawater to produce approximately 11 m3/d, meeting the water needs of the beneficiaries. The project has a nine-month deadline, but the provincial government has requested completion in six months. Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. envisions replicating the project in other waterless coastal barangays. (Philippine News Agency)