Saudi Arabia receives interest in Ras Mohaisen IWP

The Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) has received expressions of interest (EOI) for the planned 300,000 cubic metre a day (cm/d) Ras Mohaisen independent water project (IWP)

The Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) has received expressions of interest (EOI) for the planned Ras Mohaisen independent water project (IWP).

Energy & Utilities reported in October that SWPC had invited developers to submit EOIs for the Ras Mohaisen IWP, which will have a capacity of 300,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d).

SWPC received the EOI documents by 5 November.

The appointed developer will sign a 25-year water purchase agreement (WPA) with SWPC, with SWPC’s obligations supported by a credit support agreement from the Saudi government.

SWPC has appointed KPMG Al-Forzan & Partners and lead adviser and financial adviser, Eversheds Sutherland as legal adviser and WSP as technical adviser.

The Ras Mohaisen project is part of the kingdom’s programme to develop 16 IWPs to service areas across the kingdom.

Although Riyadh successfully implemented the independent water and power project (IWPP) model between 2004 and 2010, awarding contracts for three large power and water cogeneration projects during this period, that majority of the kingdom’s desalination capacity had been delivered through government-funded engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts.

As with most of the kingdom’s utilities sector, the push towards utilising public-private partnership (PPP) models to develop power and water projects has been swift since the fall in oil prices in 2014 and the subsequent launch of the Vision 2030 economic reform plan in 2016.

The kingdom awarded the contract for its first PPP standalone desalination plant, the $700m Rabigh 3 IWP in late December 2019. An Acwa Power-led consortium will develop the 600,000 cm/d plant, one of the largest reverse osmosis (RO) plants in the world.

The kingdom also awarded a contract for the development of the 450,000 cm/d Shuqaiq 3 IWP in the first quarter of 2019 to a consortium of Spain’s Acciona, Japan’s Marubeni and the local Rawafid Alhadarah.

In April 2020, SWPC signed water purchase agreement (WPA) with a consortium led by the local Acwa Power for the planned 600,000 cm/d Jubail 3A IWP.

Energy & Utilities reported in early November that SWPC had received proposals from four bidders for the planned 570,000 cm/d Jubail 3B IWP project.

The groups which submitted bids are (in alphabetical order):

• Aqualia (Spain), HAACO (local), Alfanar (local)
• Engie (France), Nesma (local), Alajlan (local)
• Utico (UAE)
• Veolia (France), Aljomaih (local), AlKifah (local)

India’s Synergy Consulting was appointed as lead and financial adviser for the Jubail 3 A and B projects. UK-based law firm DLA Piper was appointed as legal adviser and UK-based Atkins is technical adviser for the planned projects.