DEWA picks ACWA Power to build Hassyan water desalination plant

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has picked Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power to build and operate the first phase of the Hassyan seawater desalination plant.

The $914m (Dhs3.36bn) Independent Water Producer (IWP) project has a projected capacity of 180 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD).

DEWA received the lowest bid of 0.36536 USD/m³ of desalinated water from ACWA Power.

The new project aligns with Dubai’s unparalleled economic growth and the city’s thriving construction sector.

It also complements the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, addresses the substantial population growth and meets the steadily increasing demand for water in the emirate.

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD&CEO of DEWA, announced today that Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power is the ‘Preferred Bidder’ for the construction and operation of the 180 Million Imperial Gallon per Day Sea Water Reverse Osmosis Hassyan Phase 1 Independent Water Producer (IWP) project. pic.twitter.com/Jjuj8ypCuF

— DEWA | Official Page (@DEWAOfficial) August 16, 2023

DEWA said the project is the largest of its kind in the world for water production based on seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) technology using solar energy. The water project is also the company’s first IWP model project.

“We are building water production plants based on seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) technology which require less energy than multi-stage flash distillation plants, making it a more sustainable choice for water desalination,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director & CEO of DEWA.

“By 2030, DEWA aims to produce 100 per cent desalinated water by a mix of clean energy and waste heat.”

The company received 29 expressions of interest from international developers to implement this project. It received two bids from ACWA Power and Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) in May in response to the request for a proposal released to the market in December 2022.

DEWA commissions water reservoirs

Meanwhile, the Hassyan water project is part of the company’s broader strategy to increase the water desalination capacity in Dubai to 730 MIGD from 490 MIGD at present. The utility company commissioned a 60 MIGD water reservoir in Lusaily at a total investment of Dhs157.4m.

The Dubai Financial Market-listed firm is currently working on three other reservoir projects in Nakhali, Hassyan and Hatta in addition to the water reservoir in Lusaily. The projects, which are set to increase the company’s storage capacity to 1,151 MIG from 881 MIG currently, are expected to be completed this year and next year.

DEWA posted Dhs12.7bn in half-year revenues, a 5.4 per cent increase driven by an increase in demand for electricity, water, cooling services and an increase in the revenues of the utility firm’s other portfolio of assets.

Revenue growth for electricity, water and cooling increased by 5.7 per cent, 3.8 per cent and 4.9 per cent, respectively.

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