‘Saudi Desalination’: Chinese Plants for Brine Mining Operational by 2026

One of the factories under Saudi Arabia’s Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) for brine water mining (Asharq Al-Awsat)
One of the factories under Saudi Arabia’s Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) for brine water mining (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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‘Saudi Desalination’: Chinese Plants for Brine Mining Operational by 2026

One of the factories under Saudi Arabia’s Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) for brine water mining (Asharq Al-Awsat)
One of the factories under Saudi Arabia’s Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) for brine water mining (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The General Manager of Commercial Services at the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), Eng. Mohammed Al-Ghamdi, announced the start of operations for two new Chinese plants at the Ras Al Khair station in eastern Saudi Arabia.

These plants will focus on utilizing brine water and extracting minerals, with operations beginning in the first quarter of 2026.

The SWCC has made agreements with local and international companies to develop investment opportunities in brine mining.

These agreements were disclosed during the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh last week.

As part of these agreements, two plants will be established in collaboration with Chinese partners in Ras Al Khair, targeting the extraction of essential minerals and salts from brine water, contributing to the circular economy outlined in “Vision 2030.”

Brine water, a byproduct of seawater desalination, contains high levels of salts and minerals like sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, bromine, and others.

This approach helps reduce waste from seawater desalination and lessens reliance on mineral imports.

Al-Ghamdi emphasized the importance of brine water due to its high salt content.

He highlighted that extracting minerals and essential elements from it for the market is cost-effective and energy-efficient, presenting significant economic opportunities given the abundance of these waters.

Al-Ghamdi shared that investments in brine mining are projected to reach about SAR 8 billion ($2.1 billion dollars) by 2030, boosting the local economy.

He pointed out upcoming efforts to extract essential minerals like magnesium, potassium, and high-purity sodium chloride. These minerals are vital for diverse industries in the Kingdom.

Al-Ghamdi confirmed that the new plants will help produce elements like sodium and bromine within the Kingdom, reducing the need for imports

The goal is to meet 25%- 40% of the local market demand by 2030.



BP Starts Production at Second Phase of Egypt's Raven Field

FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen outside a BP (British Petroleum) petrol station in Liverpool, Britain, February 7, 2023. REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen outside a BP (British Petroleum) petrol station in Liverpool, Britain, February 7, 2023. REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo
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BP Starts Production at Second Phase of Egypt's Raven Field

FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen outside a BP (British Petroleum) petrol station in Liverpool, Britain, February 7, 2023. REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen outside a BP (British Petroleum) petrol station in Liverpool, Britain, February 7, 2023. REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo

British energy giant, BP, announced on Sunday the start of production from the second development phase of the Raven field, offshore Egypt, which involves the subsea tieback of additional Raven infill wells to its existing onshore infrastructure as part of the West Nile Delta (WND) project.

BP, the operator, holds an 82.75% stake in the project, while Harbour Energy owns the remaining 17.25%.
The new wells are expected to produce approximately 220 billion cubic feet of gas and 7 million barrels of condensate, the company said in a statement.

The project was safely executed ahead of schedule, allowing for an accelerated start of production.

Nader Zaki, BP Regional President for the Middle East and North Africa, said: “This further demonstrates BP’s commitment to investing in Egypt.”

Wail Shaheen, VP BP Egypt, said: “This series of achievements embodies our ongoing commitment to helping meet the increasing local energy demand by optimizing production from available resources while adding new ones.”

The West Nile Delta Gas Development comprises a series of gas condensate fields located offshore Egypt, within the North Alexandria and West Mediterranean Deepwater concessions.