ACWA Power-led consortium wins desalination project in Oman

The Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP) has awarded a water desalination project to a consortium including Saudi-based ACWA Power, France’s Veolia, and Dhofar International Development and Investment Holding Co. (DIDIC).

Located in the sultanate’s Dhofar region, the Salalah Independent Water Project is set to generate 25 million gallons per day of desalinated water using reverse osmosis technology, ACWA Power said in a statement.

The plant is being procured by OPWP under a Build-Own-Operate framework on the back of a 20 year Water Purchase Agreement (WPA).

Dhofar Desalination Company SAOC, the project company, will be owned by ACWA Power, Veolia Middle East and DIDIC.

"Oman is a strategic country for ACWA Power – our portfolio of six plants can generate over 4,300 MW of power and 42 million gallons per day of desalinated water,” ACWA Power managing director Thamer Al Sharhan said in the statement.

“The project will play a key role in meeting the increasing demand for water in Oman, which is expected to be on an average, about six per cent per annum over the next seven years,” he added.