SOUTH KOREA’s Samsung Engineering has asked the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) to begin proceedings against Saudi Arabia over the cancellation of the Yanbu 3 Water and Power project.^[1]  The ICSID was founded by the Executive Directors of the World Bank in 1965 and mediates legal disputes between international investors.

Saudi Arabia’s Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) cancelled its EPC contract with Samsung in January 2017 due to disagreements over project changes.^[2]  SWCC had previously altered the project’s turbine specifications, and terminated the contract after the two parties failed to reach an agreement on costs.^[3]

Under standard practice the ICSID will establish an independent conciliation commission or tribunal to hear evidence and legal arguments from both parties before making a ruling on the case.

HONG KONG’s Water Supplies Department has called for pre-qualification bids for the Tseung Kwan O desalination plant.^[4]   The proposed work includes the design, construction, and operation and maintenance of the first stage of the plant, which will initially provide 135,000 cubic metres of water per day, with subsequent expansion up to 270,000 cubic metres per day.^[5] 

Black & Veatch Hong Kong is running the pre-qualification process. The deadline for bids is 22 December 2017.

^{Credit: Desalination.biz}

Cagece, the water utility of Ceará state in northeastern BRAZIL, has received two expressions of interest for a new desalination plant.^[6]   The facility will serve the metro area of the state’s capital, Fortaleza, and will have a capacity of 86,400 cubic metres of water per day.^[7] GS Inima Brasil and Acciona Agua of Spain have indicated their interest in submitting studies for the project.

U.S.A. – A coalition of environmental groups in California has filed a lawsuit challenging the State Lands Commission’s recent ruling in favor of the Huntington Beach desalination project. The lawsuit alleges that the Commission failed to assess both the necessity of the plant and the distribution of the proposed 189,000 cubic metres per day of new capacity.^[8]

 In October 2017 the Commission approved Poseidon’s amendments to the environmental impact report, stating that the proposed changes complied with regulations established by the California Ocean Plan in 2015.^[9]