The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia intends to spend SR175m ($46.6m) annually on mobile reverse osmosis desalination plants to increase its supply of drinking water. The mobile units are intended to augment the country’s current water supply as it moves forward with its Rabigh 3 independent water project (IWP). The Rabigh 3 project is expected to operate an initial capacity of 600,000 m3/day, expandable up to 1.2m m3/day, potentially establishing itself as one of the largest reverse osmosis desalination developments in the world.
Mobile stations will initially be deployed to the regions of Jazan and Asir, a move that comes amid increasing demand for water in the Kingdom and ties in with the growing development of decentralised water provision.
Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Fadhli, Minister of environment, water and agriculture who is also the chairman of the Saline Water Conservation Corporation (SWCC) reportedly said: “This generous order to allocate this amount annually will contribute to the increase of the corporation’s supply of desalinated water in a short time, until the completion of the corporation’s current projects.”
The mobile units are expected to provide up to 103,000 m3/day. SWCC is expected to invite qualified companies to submit their proposals shortly.
Sources: waterworld.com water-technology.net