Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa)-led consortium has reached financial closing for the AED1.5 billion ($410 million) Juranah Independent Strategic Water Reservoir Project (ISWR-1) in Makkah region, Saudi Arabia. 

 

Vision International Investment Company and Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC) are the other members of the consortium, which has successfully completed all financing arrangements for this groundbreaking project.

 

The Juranah ISWR-1 financial closing follows the signature by Taqa, Vision Invest, and GIC Consortium of the relevant project agreements with the Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC), held on December 31, 2023. 

 

82pc debt funding

The project cost has been secured through approximately 82% debt funding from both local and international banks, including Alinma Bank, Banque Saudi Fransi (BSF), Saudi Investment Bank (SAIB) and Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD), demonstrating strong confidence from financial partners in the consortium's financial strength and the project's strategic importance. 

 

Taqa holds a 35% stake in the project company and a 50% shareholding in the operations and maintenance (O&M) company, led by Taqa itself.

 

The Juranah ISWR-1 Project is pivotal in addressing emergency municipal water demand across the kingdom, specifically in Makkah and Madinah regions during the Hajj season. With a total storage capacity of 2,000,000 cu m, being developed under a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) scheme, and an additional 500,000 cu m capacity operational tanks under a Design, Build, Transfer (DBT) model, the project aims to significantly enhance the potable water transmission and distribution system.

 

Key milestone

Omar Al Hashmi, Chief Executive Officer, Transmission & Distribution, Taqa, said: “Achieving financial closure for the Juranah ISWR-1 Project is a significant milestone for Taqa and our partners. This project underscores our commitment to supporting sustainable development in the region and aligns with our strategy to expand our Transmission and Distribution business internationally."

 

For Vision Invest, this reflects their shared commitment to excellence and their unwavering focus on efficiency and reliably meeting the Saudi community needs.

 

This project highlights GIC's role in developing pioneering, commercially viable infrastructure projects that are essential for the growth of GCC economies.

 

In 2023, Taqa's Transmission and Distribution business excelled through strategic collaboration, reinforcing resilience and driving growth. While Taqa continued to expand its reach and build new smart infrastructure across the UAE, the Transmission and Distribution business advanced a number of international partnerships and investments that will support its international business growth in the coming years. 

 

Fourth project outside UAE

The Juranah Independent Strategic Water Reservoir Project was the fourth Transmission and Distribution project being explored or pursued outside the UAE last year. 

 

In December 2023, Taqa signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore the possibility of becoming one of the shareholders in a project to develop a 900 km high-voltage direct current (HVDC) electricity subsea interconnector project between Greece and Cyprus. Prior to that, Taqa announced a strategic MoU for a feasibility study of an HVDC onshore infrastructure project in Romania. 

 

Earlier in 2023, Taqa invested GBP25 million (AED113 million) into Xlinks First Limited, which aims to lay the world’s longest HVDC subsea cables between the UK and Morocco to transport renewable power to the UK.--TradeArabia News Service