The Saudi Water and Electricity Company (WEC), ACWA Power Projects and a consortium of Malaysian companies have signed a series of agreements to further expand the Shuaibah Independent Water and Power Project (IWPP).
“The Shuaibah expansion project will deliver an additional 150 000 m3 per day of water, thus enabling this production facility to export 900 MW of power and 1 030 000 m3 per day of water,” said WEC chief executive officer Omar Alghamdi.
Water will be supplied to WEC under a 20-year water purchase agreement beginning in February 2009.
“The project will deliver water in a record time of 26 months, and with the more challenging aspect of delivering water at the same tariff as the main Shuaibah IWPP, even though this project has been signed 20 months later,” Alghamdi added, stressing the highly inflationary environment where equipment and construction costs have been significantly increasing.
The $230 million expansion project will use reverse osmosis desalination technology at a site adjacent to the main project at Shuaibah on the west coast of the country and is being fast-tracked in order to augment a much needed water supply to Jeddah.
Doosan Heavy Industries will construct the project on a turnkey basis. It will be operated by an operation and maintenance company owned by ACWA Power Projects, the Malaysian consortium and the First National Operation and Maintenance Company.
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