The President of Algeria, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, presided over the on-site ground-breaking ceremony for what will be the world’s largest reverse-osmosis desalination plant with a capacity of 500,000 m³/d in Magtaa in Oran province, western Algeria, on 16 December 2008.
The plant will use Hyflux Krystal ultrafiltration (UF) membranes for its pretreatment, which Hyflux claims will also be the world’s largest UF plant
The project company, Tahlyat Myah Magtaa SpA has reached a financing agreement with the Banque Nationale Algeria and is now satisfying various conditions prior to financial close by the first quarter of 2009.
Construction of the plant will now commence and is scheduled for completion in 28 months from financial close.