Acciona to build Sembcorp’s Fujairah 1 expansion

Singapore’s Sembcorp Industries has signed a 20‑year water purchase agreement with the Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Company (ADWEC) which will enable it to expand its Fujairah 1 Independent Water & Power Plant (IWPP) by 30 MIGD (136,000 m³/d).

Sempcorp has also awarded a contract to Spain’s Acciona Agua and Acciona Infraestructuras to build the seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) expansion. Acciona will design, build and provide seven years’ operation and maintenance services for the expansion project that will make this part of the hybrid plant the largest RO desalination facility in the Middle East.

Under the water purchase agreement through Sembcorp’s joint venture Emirates Sembcorp Water & Power Company (ESC) with the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority, the output from the expansion will be sold to ADWEC for 20 years, starting from its operational date. This is in addition to the existing 22‑year power and water purchase agreement for the current water and electricity output from the Fujairah 1 IWPP to ADWEC.

The expansion is expected to cost approximately US$ 200 million. Sembcorp’s equity investment of US$ 80 million will be funded through internal resources.

The expansion will enhance Sembcorp’s total seawater desalination capacity in the UAE from 130 MiGD (591,000 m³/d), of which 67.5 MiGD (307,000 m³/d) will be produced using reverse osmosis. The remainder is produced using multi‑stage flash.

“One of the most innovative aspects of this expansion project is its ability to recover seawater discharge from the existing multi‑stage flash facility for reuse as part of the seawater feed for the entire Fujairah 1 IWPP,” said William Chang, executive managing director of ESC. “The expansion will also include the installation of a new dissolved air flotation system, which will improve the quality of the seawater feed. This system will enhance the reliability and availability of the RO facility.”

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