Four bid for Saadiyat Island IWP

15 July 2024

 

Four teams submitted proposals for a contract to develop and operate the Saadiyat Island independent water producer (IWP) project in Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi-based offtaker Emirates Water & Electricity Company (Ewec) received bids for the contract on 12 July, according to a source familiar with the project.

The planned seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) IWP is expected to have the capacity to treat 60 million imperial gallons a day (MIGD) of water.

The following companies lead or are part of the teams that submitted proposals for the contract:

  • Acciona (Spain)
  • Aqualia (Spain)
  • Engie (France)
  • GS Inima (South Korea/Spain) 

MEED understands that Ewec is set to open the bid prices by the end of the month.

The Saadiyat SWRO plant is the emirate’s fourth IWP, following Taweelah, Mirfa 2 and Shuweihat 4.

When it was tendered in July last year, the original scheme – called Abu Dhabi Islands IWP –  comprised two SWRO plants, each with a capacity of 50 MIGD, to be located on Saadiyat and Hudayriat islands in Abu Dhabi.

The project’s scope was eventually changed, resulting in the cancellation of the Hudayriat Island IWP.

According to industry sources, Ewec is considering procuring a new IWP with a capacity of 90 MIGD.

The proposed location for the new projects is either Al-Nouf or Taweelah in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

As in previously tendered IWPs, the successful developer or consortium will own up to 40% of a special-purpose vehicle that will implement the Saadiyat IWP project, while the Abu Dhabi government will primarily hold the remaining equity indirectly.

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Jennifer Aguinaldo
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