Saudi Arabia has advanced two major desalination projects totalling 900,000 cubic metres per day (m3/day), located on the Red Sea coast of Makkah Province, this week.

Saudi Water Partnerships Company (SWPC), the principal offtaker for water and wastewater projects in the kingdom, said on Thursday that it has prequalified 10 companies/consortia to bid for the 300,000 m3/day Ras Mohaisan Independent Water Plant (IWP) projects.

The prequalified companies/consortia, according to a statement posted on SWPC's website, comprise Acciona Agua; ACWA Power; Cobra Instalaciones Y Servicios; FCC Aqualia; Kahrabel FZE; Consortium of Malakoff International and Kindasa Water Services Company; Marubeni; Consortium of Marafiq (Power and Water Utility Company for Jubail and Yanbu) and Alfanar Company; Rawafid Al Hadara Holding Co; and Consortium of Utico and Mowah Company.

The IWP, which will use Reverse Osmosis desalination technology, is expected to start operations in 2024, according to project information posted by SWPC on its website. The project would be developed on a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model.

SWPC had invited EoIs for Ras Mohaisan IWP on 4 October 2020 with a bid submission deadline of 5 November 2020. The Request for Qualification tender was issued on 30 December 2020.

On Wednesday, SWPC had issued an Expression of Interest (EoI) tender for the 600,000 m3/day Rabigh 4 IWP, located in Rabigh. The deadline for submission of EoI is 30 June 2021, according to the invite posted on the SWPC website. It said the successful bidder would sign a 25-year water purchase agreement with SWPC.

KPMG is the lead and financial advisor; Eversheds Sutherland is the legal advisor, and WSP is the technical advisor for both Ras Mohesen and Rabigh 4 IWPs.

In May, SWPC had named the consortium of Engie-Nesma-Al-Ajlan as the preferred bidder for its 570,000 m3/day Jubail 3B IWP.

(Writing by Anoop Menon; Editing by Seban Scaria)
(anoop.menon@refinitiv.com)

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