ACWA Power, a publicly traded company in Saudi Arabia and the leading global private entity in water desalination, as well as a pioneer in energy transition and green hydrogen, has entered into a partnership with the Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority (SEWA) to establish Sharjah’s inaugural Independent Water Project (IWP).
This initiative aims to address the rising demand for drinking water in the emirate.
The Hamriyah IWP will utilize seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) technology. By the second quarter of 2027, the facility is expected to produce approximately 272,000 cubic meters per day (m3/day) of desalinated water.
Once fully operational in the third quarter of 2028, the plant’s capacity will expand to 410,000 m3/day, providing enough potable water for 1.4 million individuals.
His Excellency Abdullah Abdul Rahman Al Shamsi, the Director General of SEWA, stated: “The agreement to build a desalination facility in Al Hamriyah with one of the leading companies in this sector aligns with our strategy to enhance the water sector in Sharjah. This represents a significant investment in water at the emirate level, employing cutting-edge technologies. The new facility will utilize reverse osmosis for desalination, incorporating advanced post-treatment, filtration, and disinfection technologies. It will boost water production capacity, adding a storage capability of 90 million gallons, while consuming no more than 3.2 kilowatts per hour per cubic meter of produced water.”
Commenting on the collaboration, Marco Arcelli, CEO of ACWA Power, remarked: “We are thrilled to partner with SEWA on this pivotal project, which brings our total UAE portfolio to eight initiatives in both power and water sectors. This endeavor strengthens ACWA Power’s undeniable global leadership in water desalination, and we are eager to apply our extensive experience in low-carbon RO desalination within Sharjah, delivering a comprehensive solution to satisfy the increasing demand for clean, affordable water.”
SEWA operates under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, a Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to execute a targeted water strategy. This strategy focuses on improving water security, fulfilling the requirements of comprehensive development with the highest quality standards, and ensuring sustainable access to clean water for all consumers in the emirate.
SEWA’s water strategy encompasses managing its operations to boost efficiency and enhance capabilities in coverage, availability, storage, and water quality. This includes employing advanced satellite survey technologies to identify water leaks in main and sub-lines, monitoring the number of leaks at subscriber locations, initiating new transmission and distribution line projects, and upgrading water networks, pumping stations, and storage tanks to enhance operational efficiency and increase water storage capacity.
ACWA Power’s responsibilities for the project involve the design, construction, ownership, operation, and maintenance of the facility. The site will use existing shared intake and outfall systems.
As the world’s leading private operator of water desalination plants, ACWA Power boasts a strong portfolio of 19 desalination projects that are either operational, under construction, or in advanced stages of development.
The company employs innovative technologies and integrates clean energy to power water desalination, which has been partially implemented in several major regional projects, including Taweelah RO, Rabigh 3, Jubail 3A IWP (Jazlah), Umm Al Quwain IWP, and Shuaibah 3 IWP.
ACWA Power currently has a desalination capacity of 8 million cubic meters of water per day.
Source :ACWA Power
