Abengoa Selected To Develop Solar-powered Desalination Plant In Saudi Arabia

(RTTNews) - Spain-based engineering and clean technology company Abengoa S.A. (ABGB) said it has been selected by Advanced Water Technology or AWT to jointly develop the world's first large-scale desalination plant to be powered by solar energy, in Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh-based AWT is a newly formed company whose mission is to bring affordable water solutions through innovation and sustainability. It is the commercial arm of KACST or King Abdulaziz City Science and Technology, and is owned by Taqnia.

The plant will produce 60,000 m3 of water a day to supply Al Khafji City in North Eastern Saudi Arabia, ensuring a constant water supply throughout the year.

Abengoa noted that the global pioneering project incorporates a photovoltaic plant that will be capable of supplying the power required by the desalination process, significantly reducing the operational costs. It will also have a system to optimize power consumption and a pre-treatment phase to reduce the high level of salinity as well as the oils and fats that are present in the region's seawater.