Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) and the Shuqaiq Three Company for Water (S3CW) have achieved a major safety milestone at Shuqaiq 3 IWP desalination plant in Shuqaiq, Jizan region, on the country’s south-west coast, clocking two million man-hours without Lost Time Injuries (LTIs) as construction surpasses the 50 per cent completion mark.
This achievement reflects the shared priority and focus of SWPC, S3CW and Spanish infrastructure major Acciona, on risk prevention and the correct implementation of the Health & Safety (HSE) measures for all the workers in the project.
Acciona is the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for Shuqaiq 3 Independent Water Project (IWP) Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant, which will produce 450,000 cu m of potable water per day.
The project also includes the EPC of a large electrical special facility (ESF) to feed the plant with power and some other additional installations from the existing power plants in the vicinity.
Acciona had, in close collaboration with S3CW and SWPC, deployed very high HSE standards from the start of the project and this accomplishment is the result of the great effort between all the parties.
The present situation with the spread of Covid-19, has added an extra challenge to coordinate the necessary prevention measures with our productivity goals while allowing us to reach the final target as per the contractual dates, said the statement from Acciona.
This SWRO plant will provide water to the cities of Abha and Jizan covering a potential population of two million inhabitants once it will be completed in Q4 of 2021 in this extremely dry region close to the border with Yemen, it stated.
Acciona pointed out that the zero LTI record shows the seamless teamwork between all the parties involved: SWPC, S3CW, Acciona and all its subcontractors who from the start of the project have prioritized safety in parallel with the execution of the works.
The EPC contractor is aiming at the overall project completion with a zero LTI index while meeting all the requirements of the contract.
Acciona Shuqaiq 3 IWP Project Director Jesús García Prieto said: "This important milestone reflects our high commitment designing and building this kind of vital facilities for Saudi Arabia and fulfilling the best Health and Safety standards that guarantee safe conditions for our employees and subcontractors."
"It is the time to recognize the great effort made at Shuqaiq 3 Project by all the parties involved with a special highlight of the difficult circumstances relative to the impact of the Covid-19 worldwide," stated Prieto.
Acciona Shuqaiq 3 IWP Project HSE Manager Altaf Khan Mohsan said: "This impressive achievement becomes a reality because of Acciona’s ongoing commitment toward the HSE goal (Zero Harm) through its stringent HSE strategies, system and safe processes."
"Acciona management always believes that by creating a Health & Safety culture and promoting safe practices, at the end of the day everyone should go home safe. In addition, Shuqaiq-3 team prioritizes the environmental values and maintains the project's sustainability at the highest level," stated Mohsan.
"The awareness given by the HSE team about the Covid-19 pandemic is remarkable and has minimized the consequences in the project," he added.
