Acwa Power has announced the opening of the Shuaibah Expansion II IWP plant in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The project was completed in 21 months, which the firm says is a new record for large-scale reverse osmosis plants.

According to a statement, commercial operation began ahead of schedule in May. The plant is said to have demonstrated high energy efficiency savings that exceeded the contractual terms of the project. The IWP project is said to align to the efforts of Vision 2030 to conserve energy in the long term.

The IWP will help meet growing water needs of the overall western region of Saudi Arabia through the production of 250,000cu/m of water per day, Acwa Power said.

“Stemming from our continued commitment to meet the power and water desalination needs of Saudi Arabia, we are extremely proud to maximise local content reaching 100% of operations led by Saudi teams,” said Mohammad Abunayyan, chairman of Acwa Power.

A top official said that diligent work by Acwa Power team and constant support from the Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) – the off taker of the project – ensured completion of the plant before Ramadan.

“This falls in line with our mission to achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 as well as our constant support to the wise Saudi leadership who are devoted to the socio-economic and industrial prosperity of the kingdom and its people. We are proud that the plant was completed safely, which reflects our safety standards and corroborates the fact that our people and their safety always come first,” remarked Abunayyan.

Acwa Power also owns and operates Shuaibah IWPP, the first IWPP developed following the Saudi government’s decision to open the market to private investment. The project generates 900MW of power and 880,000cu/m per day.