Abengoa and AWT to Develop the World's First Solar-Powered Desalination Plant, in Saudi Arabia
January 21 2015 - 3:15AM
- The plant will have a capacity to desalinate 60,000 m3 of
seawater per day and will supply the local community.
- The project is valued at US$130 million.
Abengoa (MCE:ABG.B/P SM) (Nasdaq:ABGB), the international company
that applies innovative technology solutions for sustainability in
the energy and environment sectors, has been selected by Advanced
Water Technology (AWT) to jointly develop the world's first
large-scale desalination plant to be powered by solar energy, in
Saudi Arabia. AWT is a newly formed company based in Riyadh whose
mission is to bring affordable water solutions through innovation
and sustainability. It is the commercial arm of KACST (King
Abdulaziz City Science and Technology) and is owned by Taqnia. The
plant will produce 60,000 m3 of water a day to supply Al Khafji
City in North Eastern Saudi Arabia, ensuring a constant water
supply throughout the year.
This is a global pioneering project since it incorporates a
photovoltaic plant that will be capable of supplying the power
required by the desalination process, significantly reducing the
operational costs. It will also have a system to optimize power
consumption and a pre-treatment phase to reduce the high level of
salinity and the oils and fats that are present in the region's
seawater.
Al Khafji desalination plant will ensure the stable supply of
drinking water, contributing to the country's socio-economic
development. As in other cities in Saudi Arabia, water is a scarce
resource. Abengoa and AWT will supply the local population with
water needs in a sustainable and reliable way.
This latest contract will further consolidate Abengoa's
leadership position in the water sector, increasing its total
desalination capacity to nearly 1,500,000 m3/day, enough to supply
8.5 million people around the world. It will also strengthen its
position in the Middle East where it has already been awarded major
projects in the water sector, such as the Barka desalination plant
in Oman, and in the energy sector, such as the region's largest
solar plant, in Abu Dhabi.
For AWT, this represents its initial foray into the upstream
activities of desalination water production. It plans to expand its
activities in the near future to include downstream activities such
as water reuse and water management.
About Abengoa
Abengoa (MCE:ABG.B/P SM) (Nasdaq:ABGB) applies innovative
technology solutions for sustainability in the energy and
environment sectors, generating electricity from renewable
resources, converting biomass into biofuels and producing drinking
water from sea water. (www.abengoa.com)
About AWT
AWT is a newly formed company based in Riyadh whose mission is
to bring affordable water solutions through innovation and
sustainability. It is the commercial arm of KACST and is owned by
Taqnia. (http://www.awatertech.com)
CONTACT: Communication Department
Patricia Malo de Molina Melendez
Tel: +34 954 93 71 11
E-mail: communication@abengoa.com
Investor relations:
Ignacio Garcia Alvear
Barbara Zubiria Furest
Tel: +34 954 93 71 11
E-mail: ir@abengoa.com