ACWA Power Successfully Adds To Water Desalination Capacity

ACWA Power’s total water capacity is under management to 6.4 million cubic metres.

"The world is facing an exponential water scarcity crisis due to rapidly increasing demand." "In the Middle East especially, low rainfall is placing additional pressure on water infrastructure."

"ACWA Power has been at the forefront of mitigating water resources challenges over the past decade and a half through innovative, resilient solutions that are benefiting millions of people across the world," said Kashif Rana, Chief Portfolio Management Officer of ACWA Power.

During 2022, despite global geopolitical challenges and cost pressures, their teams expanded their water desalination portfolio by over 30%. They are indeed proud to have added 2.4 million cm3 of water capacity per day across four mega RO projects, with the addition serving 5.5 million people in the GCC daily.

"Enhancing capacity is a significant milestone not only for us but for our industry." "I am confident that through our expertise, we will continue to build water security reliably and responsibly for Saudi Arabia and the world," stated Kashif Rana.

According to the report, all projects utilise reverse osmosis technology, which is up to 80% more energy efficient than traditional thermal desalination technology.

Additionally, these projects produce water for less than US$0.50 per cubic metre, which is up to three-quarters lower than the tariff of US$2 per cubic metre just a few years ago.

"As the leading water desalination operator in the world today, managing 6.4 million m3/day of desalinated water at the lowest possible cost, ACWA Power is continuing to bring innovative and practical change to the industry, as we have been doing since 2006," said Dr. Tariq Nada, Vice President, Water and Technical Service at ACWA Power.

 "Our projects showcase capacity, technological, and financial breakthroughs." "Because our teams are always working to iterate and reiterate systems and models, we have an in-built optimization mechanism that means our plants are not only pushing the technical and cost boundaries but also ensuring positive environmental impact through the use of low energy intensity solutions and environmentally friendly water cycles," he added.

As the report concludes, ACWA Power is currently producing desalinated water to meet the water needs of 40 million people daily based on the average global consumption per household. Presently, it is responsible for fulfilling an estimated 30% of Saudi Arabia’s total water needs.

In 2023, the company is expected to add at least three more projects to its desalination portfolio, which will increase its capacity by up to 15%.