Acwa Power, a leading Saudi developer, investor, and operator of power generation, water desalination and green hydrogen plants worldwide, said it has added 2.4 million cu m/day of water desalination capacity across four reverse osmosis megaprojects in 2022, the largest in a calendar year in the company's history. 

 

This achievement brings the company’s total water capacity under management to 6.4 million cu m across 16 projects in four countries, it stated.

 

Chief Portfolio Management Officer Kashif Rana pointed out that the world was facing an exponential water scarcity crisis due to rapidly increasing demand. In the Middle East especially, low rainfall is placing additional pressure on water infrastructure. 

 

"In such a scenario, Acwa Power has been at the forefront in mitigating water resources challenges over the past decade and a half through innovative, resilient solutions that are benefitting millions of people across the world. During 2022, despite global geopolitical challenges and cost pressures, our teams expanded our water desalination portfolio by over 30%," he noted. 

 

Additionally, these projects produce water at less than $0.50 per cubic metre, which is up to three-quarters lower than the tariff of $2 per cubic meter just a few years ago, he explained.

 

"We are indeed proud to have added 2.4 million cu m of water capacity/ day across 4 mega RO projects with the addition serving 5.5 million people in the GCC daily," he added.

 

According to Acwa Power, it is currently producing desalinated water to meet the water needs of 40 million people daily based on average global consumption per household. Presently, it is responsible for fulfilling an estimated 30% of Saudi Arabia’s total water needs.

 

In 2023, the company is expected to add at least three more projects to its desalination portfolio which will increase its capacity by up to 15%.

 

Rana said all its projects utilise reverse osmosis technology, which is up to 80% more energy efficient than traditional thermal desalination technology. 

 

"Enhancing capacity is a significant milestone not only for us, but for our industry. I am confident that through our expertise we will continue to build water security reliably and responsibly for Saudi Arabia and the world," stated Rana.

 

Water and Technical Service Vice President Dr Tariq Nada pointed out that Acwa Power's projects showcase capacity, technological and financial breakthroughs. 

 

"Because our teams are always working to iterate, and reiterate systems and models, we have an in-built optimisation mechanism that means our plants are not only pushing the technical and cost boundaries, but also ensuring positive environmental impact, through the use of low energy intensity solutions and environmentally friendly water cycles," he added.-TradeArabia News Service