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 Ara ...

. 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. Doosan was awarded the prime contract in September, 2010. Additional contractors for the plant included Fluid Equipment Development Company 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'', ''E ...

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 Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bo ...

, 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 ...

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 ...

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 I ...

. 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 pollu ...

from the plant is processed locally by a dedicated wastewater treatment plant and discharged into the Persian Gulf.

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

History

Operation

See also

References

External links