Veolia, a global leader in water technology, will provide essential technology for the Hassyan seawater desalination plant in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), through its subsidiary SIDEM.
This project, commissioned by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and ACWA Power, will be the world’s second largest desalination plant using reverse osmosis (RO) technology and the largest desalination plant powered by solar energy.
This reflects Veolia’s commitment to delivering sustainable, low-carbon, and energy-efficient solutions while ensuring the preservation of water resources in the face of climate change, as outlined in its new GreenUp strategic plan.
Situated approximately 55 kilometers southwest of Dubai Creek, the Hassyan desalination plant will have a capacity of 818,000 cubic meters per day (m3/d), equivalent to 180 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD), providing a secure source of drinking water for two million people.
The plant is scheduled to commence operations in 2026, with full capacity expected to be reached by 2027.
This initiative is part of a broader strategy to sustainably increase water desalination capacity to meet the growing demand for water in the domestic and commercial sectors in Dubai. Additionally, it will be the world’s largest desalination plant, powered by solar energy.
This project will feature an exceptional energy efficiency performance, with an incredibly low energy consumption rate of 2,9 kilowatt-hours per cubic meter (kWh/m3 )
This project is designed to achieve outstanding energy efficiency, with an impressively low energy consumption rate of 2.9 kilowatt-hours per cubic meter (kWh/m3).
SIDEM’s extensive experience in large-scale desalination, including crucial pre-treatment and post-treatment stages, has contributed to maximizing the potential of RO technology in terms of energy efficiency.
This has resulted in a 35% reduction in the energy consumption of RO desalination plants over the past decade.
The plant is situated near the Jebel Ali Wetland Sanctuary, a Ramsar protected site recognized by the Convention on Biological Diversity as an ecologically or biologically significant marine area of international importance.
To safeguard the uninterrupted nesting process of endangered turtles, construction activities have been carefully scheduled around the breeding season.
Furthermore, the plant strictly complies with environmental laws and regulations regarding the composition, temperature, and quantity of brine discharged, and discharge areas have been thoughtfully selected to minimize any potential impact on the ecosystem.
Estelle Brachlianoff, Chief Executive Officer of Veolia, said : “All over the world, people are looking for solutions to climate change.
The watchword is adaptation: at Veolia, we have solutions to act as a catalyst for ecological transformation, which is the thrust of our GreenUp strategic plan.
This latest achievement confirms our leading position in water technologies.
Our commitment to high operational and environmental standards has been the driving force behind our leadership in desalination for over 50 years.
Our efforts have made the impossible possible, reducing the energy consumption of large-scale desalination to 2,9 kWh/m3.”
Source Veolia
