Desalination Plant of the Year
Jubail 3A IWP, Saudi Arabia
What is it?
A 600,000 m3/d seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant on Saudi Arabia’s east coast, supplying potable water to three million people in the Eastern and Central regions of the Kingdom, and delivered under the build-own-operate model as an independent water project (IWP).
Who is involved?
The BOO project was developed by a team comprising ACWA Power (40.2%), Gulf Investment Corporation (40%) and Al Bawani (19.8%) for the client, the Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC). Plant construction was led by contractor Sepco III, with Abengoa and Lantania as the desalination suncontractors. Equipment was supplied by Toray (RO membranes), ROPV (pressure vessels), Torishima and Flowserve (pumps), and Energy Recovery Inc. (energy recovery devices), among others, while Schneider Electric supplied the digital control system.
What makes it special?
By implementing a managed pressure centre design, which allows for a reduction in the number of energy-intensive high-pressure pumps, the project team was able to smash the client’s maximum specific energy consumption limit of 3.5kWh/m3, achieving a consumption of just 2.79kWh/m3 at a water price of just $0.41/m3. These figures are some of the lowest at any desalination mega plant and reflect the value of efficient and intelligent design.
Despite the challenges presented by the global COVID-19 pandemic – a including disruption to global supply chains, a complete ban on international flights to Saudi Arabia, and curfews for personnel – the project team was able to adapt and deliver the project on time, in just 27 months from the point of financial close.
In a display of peak modern desalination plant design, the Jubail 3A IWP is designed with sustainability and environmental impact in mind. The use of a 45.5 megawatt peak captive solar photovoltaic facility supplies 20% of the required electrical power and significantly lowers the plant’s carbon footprint, saving 60,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.
Distinction
Jurong Island Desalination Plant, Singapore
What is it?
A 137,000 m3/d seawater reverse osmosis plant located on Singapore’s Jurong Island, supplying treated water to Singapore utility PUB. The plant is Singapore’s fifth desalination plant and was procured under the design-build-own-operate model, beginning full commercial operations in March 2023.
Who is involved?
The plant was delivered by a joint venture comprising Tuas Power and ST Engineering, with IDE Technologies selected as the desalination system supplier. The ultrafiltration system was provided by Evoqua, while further equipment was supplied by Torishima and Grundfos (pumps), Fluytec Filtration Technologies (cartridge filters), ABB (variable frequency drives), Lianyunguang Zhongfu and Pan Asian Flow Technology (pipes), and Emerson Process Management (Power and Water Cybersecurity Suite).
What makes it special?
In an approach that was a model of sustainability, the Jurong Island SWRO was designed to run synergistically with an existing power plant (Tembusu Multi-Utilities Complex). The plant uses the existing seawater intake and outfall infrastructure to reduce capex, draws electricity directly from the power plant to avoid grid charges, and uses warm water from the power plant’s condenser as feedstock to improve RO efficiency and reduce energy consumption by 3-5%.
JIDP is designed to employ extensive automation, significantly reducing operator workload and allowing the plant to be operated by as few as two people from its main control room if necessary, highlighting the efficient use of digital technologies. Meanwhile, the plant saved delivery time by being built to a pre-engineered modular design, being fabricated in pre-assembled modules and tested in the production facility before being shipped to the site.
The project effectively handles numerous seawater condition challenges, demonstrating the resilience and flexibility of the design. These challenges include very high levels of suspended solids, high levels of organics, and regular algae events, as well as significant daily tidal variations and conflicting currents.