Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) has announced it has received four proposals from Acciona Agua, Engie, GS Inima Environmental, and a consortium of FCC Aqualia and Orascom Construction Industries for the Saadiyat Island Reverse Osmosis (RO) Independent Water Project (IWP).
This project will feature a cutting-edge greenfield RO seawater desalination plant located on Saadiyat Island. Employing advanced, low-carbon RO technology, the plant will desalinate approximately 60 million imperial gallons of seawater per day, or nearly 273,000 m³/day. It will be the seventh RO desalination project in EWEC’s portfolio.
Othman Al Ali, EWEC’s CEO, stated, “EWEC is advancing towards a reverse osmosis-focused infrastructure. This project brings us closer to our goal of generating 90 percent of our water through RO by 2030 and achieving nearly carbon-free water production by 2031. Our mission supports the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036 and the UAE Net Zero by 2050 initiative. We look forward to partnering with the selected bidder to enhance Abu Dhabi and the UAE’s role in sustainable development.”
Low-carbon RO technology reduces emissions by over 85 percent compared to traditional thermal desalination. EWEC aims to cut carbon emissions related to water desalination in Abu Dhabi to under one kilogram per cubic metre by 2031.
The RFP was sent to bidders who qualified after the expressions of interest (EOI) stage. Of 41 companies that submitted EOIs, 19 qualified for the RFP stage.
