Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power Group said that it is proceeding with implementing the second expansion project of Shuaibah station, scheduled to be completed within 22 months.
Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture and Chairman of the Board of Water and Electricity Company Abdulrahman al-Fadhli was briefed on the work progress in the second expansion project during his field visit, in the attendance of Saline Water Conversion Corporation Governor Engineer Ali Al-Hazmi.
Mohammad Abdullah Abunayyan, chairman of ACWA Power, said the visit of the minister motivates continuity of work to complete the project as planned – this project will play an essential role in meeting the increasing demands of water with the population and urban growth on the western region.
The station will produce 250,000 cubic metre per day of saline water after completing its construction work and commencing its operating processes due in 2019.
The minister also visited Shuaibah Independent Water & Power Project (IWPP), that covers around 50 percent of water needs in Makkah, Jeddah, Taif and Al Bahah, in order to make sure that the station is ready to operate and produce during the coming seasons.
ACWA Power owns and manages Shuaibah project, which is the first independent project to generate water and electricity and the first project that was developed following the Saudi government's decision to permit private companies to invest in the sector of water salination. Shuaibah project has the capacity to produce 900 megawatts of electricity and 880,000 cubic metre per day of saline water.
