The second phase of Abu Dhabi’s Taweelah seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) independent power project has reached commercial operations, according to the lead engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor, Spain’s Abengoa.

This development comes 10 months after the independent water project’s (IWP) first phase reached the same milestone.

The plant has a total capacity of 909,218 cubic metres a day (cm/d), making it the world’s largest SWRO plant in production.

Abengoa, in a consortium with China’s Sepco 3, executed the project’s EPC contract. 

The SWRO plant features a 40MW solar power farm, making it “the first to combine the production of drinking water with the generation of clean energy”, Abengoa said.

Abengoa’s scope of work at the Taweelah plant included the design, engineering, supply of the main equipment, supervision of assembly, commissioning, start-up of the reverse osmosis and post-treatment systems, and advice on the pre-treatment processes carried out by third parties.

Located on the Gulf coast, the Taweelah IWP is being developed by Saudi-based utility developer and investor Acwa Power.

It is being built at the Taweelah power and water generation complex 45 kilometres off Abu Dhabi.

Based on 100 per cent electricity cost, Acwa Power submitted the lowest proposal of AED8.26 a thousand imperial gallons (TIG), or roughly $0.49 a cubic metre, for the build-own-operate (BOO) scheme in 2018.

Acwa Power is the lead developer and operator, and a 40 per cent shareholder in the Taweelah IWP, with the government of Abu Dhabi through Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) and Mubadala Development Company owning the remaining 60 per cent.

Emirates Water & Electricity Company (Ewec) is the sole offtaker of the project under a 30-year contract.

Ewec and Acwa Power reached financial close on the AED3.19bn ($869m) Taweelah IWP in October 2019.

A group of local and international financial institutions arranged the loans, which include conventional and Islamic tranches, totalling AED2.71bn.

The lenders include France’s Natixis, the UAE’s Emirates NBD, Japan’s Mizuho Bank, Germany’s Siemens Bank, Bank Boubyan (Kuwait) and the Norinchukin Bank (Japan).

Equity contributions from shareholders and operating cash flow from pre-operations will cover the rest of the required financing.

Reverse osmosis pivot

The Taweelah IWP project is Abu Dhabi’s fourth operational desalination plant with RO capacity. The other plants are Fujairah F1, Fujairah F2 and Mirfa M1.

Taken together, all four plants produce 327 million gallons a day of potable water.

In March, Ewec, Taqa and France’s Engie signed the water-purchase agreement (WPA) for the Mirfa 2 (M2) SWRO plant in Abu Dhabi.

Taqa will own 60 per cent of the M2 reverse osmosis project, while Engie will own the remaining 40 per cent in the 120MIGD plant.

Negotiations are under way between Ewec and Madrid-headquartered GS Inima, the lowest bidder for the Shuweihat 4 SWRO project.

The procurement process has also started for two more SWRO IPP projects on Abu Dhabi's islands with a total combined capacity of 100MIGD.