The Jubail 3A Independent Water Plant (IWP), the first solar-powered integrated water desalination project in Saudi Arabia, has been put into operation.
Generally contracted by Power Construction Corporation of China (POWERCHINA), the project is expected to meet drinking water demands of three million local people, bringing low-cost and high-quality water to the desert region.
A view of the photovoltaic panels of the Jubail 3A Independent Water Plant (IWP), the first solar-powered integrated water desalination project in Saudi Arabia [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
Located in the Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia is covered with vast desert. About 70 percent of its drinking water comes from seawater desalination, making it the world's largest seawater desalination country.
Adopting seawater reverse osmosis technology, the Jubail 3A IWP has a daily production capacity of 600,000 metric tons of water, and is expected to be one of the important water sources for Dammam and Riyadh. It is of great significance in relieving the increasing water demand along the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia.
As the first large-scale solar-powered integrated desalination project in Saudi Arabia, the project has a supporting solar power plant with an installed capacity of 45.5 megawatts, which can meet 20 percent of the required daily energy consumption.
A view of the Jubail 3A IWP in Saudi Arabia [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]
(Executive editor: Xie Yunxiao)
