The Ras Al-Khair Power and Desalination Plant is a
power
Power most often refers to:
* Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work"
** Engine power, the power put out by an engine
** Electric power
* Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events
** Abusive power
Power may a ...
and
desalination plant
Desalination is a process that takes away mineral components from saline water. More generally, desalination refers to the removal of salts and minerals from a target substance, as in soil desalination, which is an issue for agriculture. Saltw ...
located in
Ras Al-Khair Ras Al-Khair (Also called Ras Az-Zour, Ras Azzour) is a town and port currently under development in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. It is on the eastern coast, 60 km (37 mi) north of Jubail. It is also known under its project name of "M ...
on the eastern coast of
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
. It is operated by the
Saline Water Conversion Corporation
Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) is a government corporation that operates desalination plants and power stations in Saudi Arabia. It is the second largest electrical provider in the country. It is the largest desalinating sea water
...
of Saudi Arabia. The plant began operating in April 2014 and, , is the world's largest hybrid water desalination plant.
The project includes a power plant capable of producing 2400
MW of electricity.
In 2015, it won the Global Water Awards "Desalination Plant of the Year" award.
History
Construction of the plant began in 2011.
Though originally slated to begin producing freshwater by the end of 2013, the first freshwater produced from the plant was in early 2015.
Full commercial operation of the plant was achieved in March 2016.
The primary contractors for construction of the plant were the
Doosan Group
Doosan Group () is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation. In 2009, the corporation was placed in the ''Fortune'' Global 500 index. It is the parent company of Bobcat and Škoda Power. Doosan Group is the oldest running company i ...
and
Saudi Archirodon Saudi may refer to:
* Saudi Arabia
* Saudis, people from Saudi Arabia
* Saudi culture
The cultural setting of Saudi Arabia is greatly influenced by the Arab and Islamic culture. The society is in general deeply religious, conservative, tradit ...
.
Doosan was awarded the prime contract in September, 2010.
Additional contractors for the plant included
Fluid Equipment Development Company
Fluid Equipment Development Company (FEDCO) is a Michigan-based designer and manufacturer of high-pressure feed pumps and brine energy recovery devices (ERDs) for brackish water reverse osmosis (BWRO) and seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) systems ...
for energy recovery devices,
Siemens
Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe headquartered in Munich with branch offices abroad.
The principal divisions of the corporation are ''Industry'', '' ...
for generators, turbines, and related equipment, and
Hyosung
Hyosung Corporation is a South Korean industrial Chaebol, founded in 1966. It operates in various fields, including the chemical industry, industrial machinery, IT, trade, and construction. It is known in Korea mostly for high-end apartments a ...
for various motors.
The plant has created 3,500 direct and indirect jobs.
Operation
Water intake for the plant comes from the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...
, on the shore of which the plant sits.
The plant includes five high-efficiency
gas turbines operated in combined cycle mode and in single mode.
It uses a hybrid system of eight
multi-stage flashing units and 17
reverse osmosis
Reverse osmosis (RO) is a water purification process that uses a partially permeable membrane to separate ions, unwanted molecules and larger particles from drinking water. In reverse osmosis, an applied pressure is used to overcome osmotic pre ...
units.
Freshwater output from the plant is pumped via pipelines to
Riyadh
Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the R ...
and
Hafr Al-Batin
Hafar al-Batin ( ar, حفر الباطن '), also frequently spelled ''Hafr al-Batin'', is a Saudi Arabian city in the Eastern Province. It is located 430 km north of Riyadh, 94.2 km from the Kuwait border, and about 74.3 from the Iraq ...
.
Electricity and freshwater output from the plant also supply a nearby
aluminium oxide refinery.
Of the 2400 MW electricity produced by the plant, 200 MW are used by the plant itself.
Effluent
Effluent is wastewater from sewers or industrial outfalls that flows directly into surface waters either untreated or after being treated at a facility. The term has slightly different meanings in certain contexts, and may contain various pollut ...
from the plant is processed locally by a dedicated wastewater treatment plant and discharged into the Persian Gulf.
See also
*
Desalination facilities
There are approximately 16,000 operational desalination plants, located across 177 countries, which generate an estimated 95 million m3/day of freshwater. Micro desalination plants operate near almost every natural gas or fracking facility in th ...
References
External links
* {{Official website, www.swcc.gov.sa
Industrial buildings in Saudi Arabia
Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia
Integrated water and power plants
Power stations in Saudi Arabia
Water supply and sanitation in Saudi Arabia