Saudi Water & Electricity Co. tenders Al Shuqaiq 3 desalination plant

Saudi Arabia’s Water and Electricity Co. has tendered Al Shuqaiq – 3 water desalination station under the build, own and operate (BOO) model for pre-qualified companies, according to a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

Al Shuqaiq – 3 , which will be built in Al Shuqaiq governorate in the Southern Province, will add 450,000 cubic meters of desalinated water to Assir and Jazan’s current water production, WEC chief executive Khalid Al-Quraishi said.

Work at the station, located 137 kilometers away from Jazan on the Red Sea coast, will start by the beginning of 2019. The plant is expected to start supplying drinking water by Q1 2021, he said.

The tender to fully own and operate the station for 25 years will be awarded to a private sector company, which will have to consume less than 3.5 kilo watts per hour for every cubic meter each year, Al Quraishi said.

He added that 64 specialized international firms have applied to bid for the project, while only 10 companies were eligible to compete.