Abu Dhabi-based Emirates Water & Electricity Company (Ewec) has received request for proposals (RFP) from consultants in late last month for the planned 50 million imperial gallon a day (MIGD) Shuweihat 4 independent water producer (IWP) desalination project.
Ewec is seeking to appoint financial, technical and legal advisors for the project.
Ewec is planning to develop a number of IWP projects, independent of major thermal power plants, in the coming years as it seeks to increase desalination capacity.
With contracts having been awarded for solar projects with capacity of more than 2GW in the past four years, and first power from the federal 5.6GW Barakah nuclear power plant due to come online before the end of 2021, the emirate is seeking to increase flexibility in its utilities network by developing independent water production.
Abu Dhabi-based Emirates Water & Electricity Company (Ewec) is planning to oversee the development of a major new desalination plant in the Mirfa area of Abu Dhabi.
According to sources in Abu Dhabi’s utilities sector, Ewec is planning for a 550,000 cubic metre a day (cm/d) desalination plant to be developed under the independent water producer (IWP) model.
The desalination plant will provide water for agriculture and irrigation purposes in the Liwa region of the emirate.
In 2019, Ewec awarded the contract for the 200 million imperial gallons a day (MIGD) Taweelah independent water project (IWP), which will be the world’s largest reverse osmosis (RO) desalination plant.
Acwa Power was appointed as the main developer for the project. The developer appointed China’s Sepco 3 and Spain’s Abengoa to carry out the EPC works for the plant.
The AED3.1bn ($844m) Taweelah IWP project reached financial close in September 2019.
The Abu Dhabi government holds a 60 per cent stake in the Taweelah project.
