Eng. Abdul Rahman Al-Fadhli, Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Water Partnerships Company, officially inaugurated the Jubail 3A independent water desalination plant (Jazlah Water Desalination Company).
The move aims to raise spending efficiency and benefit from the expertise of the private sector in construction, operation and management, in addition to reducing carbon emissions by 60,000 tons annually.
ACWA Power, the leading Saudi developer, investor, and operator of power generation, water desalination, and green hydrogen plants worldwide, along with its partners Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC) and AlBawani Water & Power Company (AWP), celebrated on Saturday the official inauguration of the plant, after receiving the commercial operation certificate from Saudi Water Partnership Co. (SWPC), to mark the start of full-time operations.
The Jubail 3A independent water desalination plant is the first of its kind in the Kingdom due to its integration with photovoltaic (PV) solar power.
The $650 million Jazlah company project, located in Jubail, has achieved an exceptional world efficiency record of 2.8 kWh/cubic meter of water using Arabian Gulf Seawater, ACWA Power said in a press release.
It added that the project marked the first Independent Water Project (IWP) in the eastern region with a production capacity of 600,000 cubic meters of desalinated water per day to meet increasing water demands. Jazlah encompasses a 45.5 MW solar PV power generation facility, which will account for 20% of the plant’s energy consumption and will deliver clean water to over three million people at a record-breaking rate of 0.41 USD/m3, using reverse osmosis technology.
In remarks on the occasion, Al-Fadhli stressed that these projects come to achieve the objectives and plans of the National Water Strategy to increase private sector participation in water production projects, supplying drinking water to all regions in the Kingdom.
He added that the project would work directly to meet the demand in the Riyadh and Qassim regions, as well as develop the water sector and improve the quality of its services.
For his part, Eng. Khalid Al-Quraishi, CEO of Saudi Water Partnership Company, said: “Through the utilization of green energy, Jazlah generates 45.5 MW of solar PV power, resulting in reduced carbon emissions and a significant decrease in grid electricity consumption.”
“The plant operates at an impressive energy efficiency rate of 2.8 kWh/cubic meter. The success of this project is a testament to the unwavering commitment of the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, along with the cooperation of all public and private stakeholders,” he added.
Mohammad Abunayyan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ACWA Power, said that the project demonstrated the company’s global leadership in water desalination, and its enduring commitment to cost leadership, social prosperity, and national development.
“A proud addition to our water desalination portfolio, the Jazlah company plant will make invaluable contributions towards the Kingdom’s water security in the years ahead, helping combat climate change while catering to sustainable development goals for a growing population,” he stated.
