Global technology giant ABB said it has teamed up with SepcoIII, the engineering, procurement and construction contractor, to power the world’s largest desalination plant being built at an investment of $500 million in Taweelah, Abu Dhabi.

 

Located 45 km north of Abu Dhabi city, the Taweelah project will be the first reverse osmosis independent water project in Abu Dhabi which will desalinate seawater for supply to local communities and industry in the area. 

 

The plant will boast a capacity to process 909,200 cu m of seawater per day, enough to meet the demands of over 350,000 households, said the statement from ABB. 

 

The Swiss techology major said it will also set new benchmarks for its size, efficiency and cost by utilising the lowest amount of energy per cubic meter of water produced.

 

Challenged to provide safe, reliable and stable power supply to the operation of the seawater desalination equipment, ABB is delivering 30 panels of UniGear ZS3.2 medium-voltage switchgear and 250 panels of MNS low-voltage switchgear with digital capabilities. 

 

With ABB's innovative technology, the duo aims to ensure power supply continuity and boost system operational efficiency in addition to reducing maintenance costs. 

 

Once the Taweelah plant becomes fully operational in the fourth quarter of 2022, it will play a critical role in meeting the region’s peak water demand, which is projected to rise by 11% between 2017 and 2024. 

 

Loay Dajani, the Managing Director for ABB Electrification (Middle East and Africa) said: "We are very proud that ABB technology will be used at the Taweelah plant, which will contribute to the UAE’s goals of building a more sustainable, self-reliant and efficient water and energy sector in the country."

 

"When commissioned it is estimated this plant will meet water demand from over 350,000 households. Water is obviously a critical element to a country’s prosperity and growth, and today on World Water Day we are happy to contribute to a building a safe, smart and sustainable future," stated Dajani.

 

"In an electric power system, switchgear is used to control, protect and isolate electrical equipment, in order to ensure uninterrupted power supply.  To optimize operations, the MNS switchgear delivered has incorporated intelligent devices with a data interface to enable remote operation monitoring and condition-based maintenance of the switchgear," he explained.

 

According to him, ABB has also delivered a wide range of low and medium voltage motors and variable speed drives to ensure reliable and energy efficient pumping in the plant.

 

The ACS580MV medium voltage drives match the speed and torque of the motors to the pumping demand for maximum energy savings, he added.-TradeArabia News Service