Overview
In order to meet expected demand growth in water the kingdom will have to invest three billion dollar a year in infra-structure development over the next twenty year. The Kingdom has established 30 desalination plants on the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf coasts at a total cost of $17 billion. Saudi Arabia is rapidly deleing is 2.2 billion cubic meters of proven groundwater. 95 percent of water comes form aquifers, 4 percent from desalination and 1 percent from wastewater reclamation. 80 percent of water has been used in questionable agriculture projects, such as the world’s most heavily subsidized wheat production. 30 percent of household water comes from desalinating. Saudi Arabia is the biggest user of desalinated water in the world (26 percent of world’s total), and demand is growing be at lest 2 percent year. While the cost of desalination is falling, is still cost $1.33 to process, deliver and remove the waste form one cubic meter of such water, while a Saudi consumer pays only .04. The Ministry of Water and Electricity announces study after study to rationalize water tariffs and privatize the state owned Saline Water Conversation Corporation (SWCC).
With the budget surplus, Saudi Government is working on a
number of large projects, primarily in the water and sewage
system, in an attempt to meet the needs posed by population
growth and industrial growth. The new
planned major infrastructure projects include the construction of
a 20 new water distribution network, and 20 new desalination
plants. The refurbishment of the Jeddah
desalination plant, the expansion of Asir II desalination plant,
Yanbu/Medinah III desalination plants, and the expansion of
wastewater treatment plants In Jeddah, Riyadh, and
Dammam.
In July 2001, the new Ministry of Water was created. It was carved out of the water departments of the Ministries of Agriculture and Municipal and Urban Affairs, and given responsibility for developing a comprehensive water and sewage systems for the Kingdom.
In 2001, the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu founded the Power & Water Utility Company for Jubail and Yanbu known as (Marafiq). This company is responsible for planning and developing power and water utilities in Jubail and Yanbu industrial cities.
Another major development took place in May 2003 with the establishment of a new company, Water & Electricity Company (WEC), between the Saline Water Conversion Corp. (SWCC) and Saudi Electricity Co. (SEC) to carry out the independent Water and Power Project (IWPP) in partnership with the developer. There are three IWPP projects under bidding at Shuqaiq (Phase 2), Ras Al-Zour, and Jubail (Phase 3). The three projects will have desalination water capacity of 1870 million cubic meters of desalinated water per day.
In 2006, the new National Water Company (NWC) was founded. It will in the short term facilitates privatization process and oversees the regional operations under PPP contracts. In the long term, NWC will oversee most water and wastewater operations of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. National Water Company will include regional business units (RBUs) and a core to manage and provide strategic guidance to RBUs.
Independent Water Projects (IPPs):
Private sector investment is emerging as a key component in the upgrading and expansion of Saudi Arabia’s water infrastructure. The IPP concept is also gaining ground among Saudi Arabia’s leading companies, including Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Ministry of Water & Electricity, PCA, and Saudi Aramco, which are contracting local and international private companies to build desalination plants for their mega projects.
Saudi Aramco IWP: In June 2003, a consortium led by US Company Aquatech, and including the local Rabigh Desalination Co., was awarded a $20 million contract to build a desalination plant for the Saudi Aramco Rabigh refinery complex. The project, which stipulates a 20-year water conversion agreement, is expected to come on stream by 2006.
In August 2005, a consortium led by Marubeni and Itochu, and including the local ACWA Power Projects, was awarded a $1.1 billion contract to build a co-generation and desalination plant for the Rabigh integrated petrochemical and refining complex jointly owned by Saudi Aramco and Sumitomo Chemical. An engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for the co-generation and desalination plant has also been awarded to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. on a turn-key basis. The project, which stipulates a 25-year water and energy conversion agreement, is expected to come on stream by 2008.
WEC:
In October 2005, Shuaiba IWPP was awarded to a Saudi Malaysian consortium: The $2.4 billion project involves a 20-year power and water purchase agreement to produce 900 MW of electricity and 880 cubic meters of desalinated water per day. The Shuaiba IWPP is expected to come on stream by the third quarter of 2006.
Marafiq:
In December 2006, Marafiq Jubail was awarded to French-Belgian Utility consortium: The $3.3 billion project involves a 20-year power and water purchase agreement to produce 2,800 MW, and 800,000 cubic meters of desalinated water per day. The project would stat production in the second half of 2009.
Best Prospects/Services
Saline water Conversion Corp. (SWCC) is recently studying the introduction of 20 new saline water conversation projects to be implemented in the near future to meet the demand increase on drinking and civil used water. The new 20 projects will include constructing new plants and expanding existing ones. SWAC would like to see more U.S. companies involvements in those projects due to their high tech and good reputation in this market. Also, there are several large opportunists in the wastewater treatment plants; several major projects are under the tendering, such as North Jeddah wastewater treatment, Hair wastewater treatment in Riyadh, Medina wastewater treatment, and Dammam wastewater treatment.
- Consulting and engineering services
- Anti-scaling Chemicals
- Operations and Maintenance services
- Ro Membranes
- Filters
- Steam & Gas Turbines
- Boilers
- Wastewater Treatment Equipment
- Treatment Chemicals
- Pumps
Opportunities
The government now has more than sufficient resources to embark on long-planned improvements and a long awaited expansion of water infrastructure, transport and wastewater treatmntplans. Over the next five years, Saudi Arabia will require 4,500 km of new pipeline for freshwater transport and over 22,000 km for wastewater disposal pipes. Also, major business opportunities will be forthcoming as the sector opens up for privatization. Industry sources expect that the Saudi Government will be building more new desalination plant, water pipeline, and wastewater treatment plants on a BOO/BOT basis with the newly-established company, Water & Electricity Company (WEC), taking the lead toward that aim. Initially, WEC plans to set up the second group of three IWPP projects with an investment potential of $6.12 billion. These IWPP projects will provide desalinated water and power to their respective regions.
On January 1, 2003, the Power and Water Utility Company for Jubail and Yanbu (MARAFIQ) was established to undertake the operation, management, expansion and construction of seawater cooling systems, water desalination plants, sanitary and industrial wastewater systems and electric power systems, thus providing essential utility services to industrial, commercial and residential customers in the industrial cities of Jubail and Yanbu.
In 2006, the new National Water Company (NWC) was founded. It will in the short term facilitates privatization process and oversees the regional operations under PPP contracts. In the long term, NWC will oversee most water and wastewater operations of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. National Water Company will include regional business units (RBUs) and a core to manage and provide strategic guidance to RBUs.
For more information please contact:
Habeeb Saeed at habeeb.saeed@mail.doc.gov
in Riyadh
Yousef Daqqaq at yousef.daqqaq@mail.doc.gov
in Jeddah
Ishtiaq Hussain at ishtiaq.hussain@mail.doc.gov
in Dhaharan