Metito has delivered the first of three floating desalination barges for The Saudi National Shipping Company (Bahri) SAR760m Announced Project in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The project is based on a previous agreement signed with the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) and falls under the third independent phase of the Kingdom’s Privatization Program and aims to ensure sustainable supply of water to enhance water security. The project is the largest floating desalination barge and is located near Al Shuqaiq port, on the western coast of Saudi Arabia.
Metito Saudi signed a contract with Bahri to deliver three floating water desalination plants with a total capacity of 150,000 cubic meters per day. This project is aimed at contributing to the sustainability to supply of high-quality potable water in compliance with all applicable international and local codes and standards and using the most advanced treatment technology, Integrated Ultra Filtration.
Metito developed this project on fast-track basis and covering the design, engineering, construction, operation trials, and the provision of floating barges to sail the desalination plants, complete with the power generation system, to its current location in the Kingdom. The company won this pioneering project after winning a competitive tender and having a portfolio of iconic projects across global markets and in the Kingdom.
Commenting on the news, Fady Juez, Metito Managing Director, said: “Winning this innovative project is a true testament of the Kingdom’s progressive vision to achieving national water security targets through sustainable projects and highlights the Government’s efforts to further engage the private sector with mega infrastructural projects”.
Metito specifically designed the plant taking into consideration mobility and the flexibility of sailing the barges to different locations, according to changing water needs. Juez also emphasized the possibility of using solar energy to power the barges.
Metito was the first company to introduce the Reverse Osmosis (RO) technology for desalination outside the USA in 1972. To date, the company continues to develop iconic desalination projects, integrating the latest technologies and ensuring environmental sustainability at the core of its high value engineering. Metito is also the first company to pioneer concession contracts through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in the Middle East and Africa.
