Veolia Water will design, build and
operate the largest ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis
desalination plant in Saudi Arabia, the company announced on
With this contract, Veolia Water will generate $310 million
(232 million) in revenue for the plant's design and construction, and $92 million
(69 million) in revenue for its operation for 10 years,
with an option to extend the contract for a further 20
With a capacity of 178,000 m3 per day, this new plant will
supply the Sadara petrochemical complex built by Dow
Chemical and Saudi Aramco in Jubail Industrial City II. That
complex is due to come on stream in June 2015.
Dow Chemical and Aramco will produce solvents and glues for the
automotive and packaging industries at the Sadara site. The
water supplied will be used in this immense facility's two
cooling towers and as boiler feed water.
To meet the very strict water quality standards required
by local officials and minimize this new plant's
impact on the environment, Veolia Water, through
its subsidiary Sidem, has designed a plant combining two
seawater treatment solutions: ultrafiltration and reverse
After an initial treatment phase involving dissolved air
flotation to capture the suspended particles in the water and
ultrafiltration, the water will then be desalinated by reverse
osmosis membranes before being remineralized.
The combination of these various processes will ensure a secure
water supply, limit the risk of plant failure and extend its
lifespan, while at the same time reducing the site's energy
requirements and costs.