Saudi-listed Acwa Power has signed an agreement with Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority (Sewa) to develop Sharjah’s first Independent Water Project (IWP) that will help meet the increasing demand for potable water in the emirate.

The Hamriyah IWP will be developed using seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) technology. The plant will generate nearly 272,000 cu m per day of desalinated water by Q2 of 2027. Upon reaching full operations in Q3 2028, the plant’s capacity will reach 410,000 cu m/day of desalinated water that will result in potable water sufficient for 1.4 million people.

Sewa’s Director General Abdullah Abdul Rahman Al Shamsi said: “The signing of the agreement to establish a water desalination plant in Al Hamriyah with one of the largest specialist companies in this field aligns with the plan to develop the water sector system in the Emirate of Sharjah. It is considered one of the largest investments in water at the emirate level, utilising the latest technologies.”

“The new plant will operate using the reverse osmosis system for water desalination and includes the latest post-treatment, filtration, and disinfection technologies. The project will increase water production capacity, adding a storage capacity of 90 million gallons, in addition to consuming no more than 3.2 kilowatts per hour to produce one cu m of water,” he added.

Commenting on the agreement, Acwa Power’s CEO Marco Arcelli said: “We are delighted to collaborate with Sewa on this landmark project, bringing our total portfolio in the UAE to eight projects in both power and water. This project reinforces Acwa Power’s indisputable global leadership in water desalination, and we look forward to bringing our extensive experience in low-carbon intensive RO desalination to the emirate of Sharjah, providing an end-to-end solution to meet growing demand for clean and affordable water.”

Sewa operates under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to implement a specific water strategy. This strategy aims to enhance water security, meet the needs of comprehensive development according to the highest quality standards, and ensure the sustainability of access to clean water for consumers across the emirate.

Acwa Power’s scope for the project includes the design, build, own, operations and maintenance of the plant. The site has existing shared intake and outfall facilities.

Acwa Power is the largest private operator of water desalination plants in the world, with a robust portfolio of 19 water desalination projects that are operational, under construction or in advanced development. The company utilises pioneering technologies and integrates clean energy to fuel water desalination, which has been partially installed in several regional mega projects such as Taweelah RO, Rabigh 3, Jubail 3A IWP (Jazlah), Umm Al Quwain IWP, and Shuaibah 3 IWP.

Acwa Power has a portfolio of 8 million cu m of desalinated water per day.

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