The Federal Electricity and Water Authority (FEWA) and Mubadala Investment Company have signed an agreement and formed a consortium to develop seawater reverse osmosis desalination plants in the Norther Emirates.

MDC Power Holding Company LLC, fully owned by Mubadala and FEWA will be co-developing the desalination plants in Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah.

According to Mohammad Mohammad Saleh, director general of FEWA, three desalination plants will be developed for a total capacity of 135 million imperial gallons per day and will be developed in two phases. The first phase of the project is scheduled to be completed by 2021. The objective of this agreement is to meet the growing demand for water in the UAE through an efficient water generation system.

Commenting on the agreement, Saleh said: “The timing and sizing of the facilities have been determined based on the optimal technical solution and commercial attractiveness. The first phase of the project is scheduled to be completed by 2021.”

Mohammed Al Hormel, the utilities director of Mubadala said this collaboration will leverage each entity’s unique capabilities.

“Together, with FEWA, our goal is to continue working on improving the overall power and water sector towards a highly efficient generation system while reducing the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), associated with the water desalination process in alignment with the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036,” he added.