The Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) plans to develop a new independent desalination plant based on seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) technology. It has now invited expressions of interest (EoIs) for the project, associated infrastructure and facilities.

The project’s commercial operation date has been set as 2022, while the utility firm has set a deadline of November 5 for the EoIs.

The Ras Mohaisen Independent Water Project is to be developed some 300km south of Makkah, on the Red Sea coast in the Western Province. Once complete, IWP will boast a total treatment capacity of 300,000cu/m per day, said a statement from SWPC. The power supply for the project will be provided by the Saudi Electricity Company’s high voltage network, said a statement from the firm.

The Saudi utility company said it will conduct a competitive tender process to select a developer or developer consortium for the development, financing, procurement, implementation, operation and maintenance of the project.

Following the tender bid, the winning group, through a project company to be incorporated, would develop the project and sell the entire capacity and output to SWPC, under a 25 year concession pursuant to a Water Purchase Agreement, the statement explained.

SWPC said its obligations under the WPA will be supported by a credit support agreement from the Saudi government.

According to the statement, KPMG Al Fozan & Partners have been chosen as the lead and financial advisors, while Eversheds Sutherland (International) is the legal advisor and WSP is the technical advisor.