ACCIONA says it passed a key milestone in the construction of the Jebel Ali desalination plant located close to Dubai with the production of the first cubic meter of Potable water.
The plant, equipped with energy-efficient Sea Water Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) technology, is a critical project in the modernisation of the water sector being undertaken by Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA), explained the Jebel Ali SWRO EPC contractor.
ACCIONA added that it expects the desalination plant to complete by 2021. Once operational, it will produce 182,000 cubic meters of potable water per day, serving a population of 700,000 inhabitants. Its capacity makes it one of the largest desalination plants in the UAE.
“This milestone is the result of good teamwork between the client, our engineers and the construction teams,” said project director Francisco Javier Nieto. “Now that we are entering the final stage of construction, we will undertake a number of trials and tests to make sure everything works perfectly”.
ACCIONA’s latest Sustainability Report predicts that desalinated water production in the Middle East will be 13 times higher in 2040 than it was in 2014.
In a region with acute water scarcity, demand for desalinated water is being driven by climate change and population growth. The Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 aims to reduce Dubai’s carbon footprint to one of the smallest in the world by 2050, which will require an increasingly efficient desalination water production process.
Jesús Sancho, ACCIONA Middle East Managing Director, added: “We are proud to have reached this milestone at Jebel Ali SWRO on time that proves ACCIONA’s commitment and good work with our clients. It is an essential milestone and we are very proud of it, as it demonstrates our commitment to respect the goals of our client and local authorities.”