Abengoa, a Spanish company specialising in green infrastructure, energy and water sectors, said its consortium with top engineering and construction company SepcoIII has started commissioning of the 600,000-cu-m-per-day Jubail 3A desalination plant located in the Eastern Province.

It is being set up by Acwa Power, a leading company in the development, investment, ownership and operation of power generation and desalinated water production plants.

The Jubail 3A will be the first and largest desalination facility in the world to run on renewable energy generated by a solar photovoltaic plant.

The plant has already begun pumping seawater to the pretreatment successfully as part of the tests at the start of commissioning.

Once this phase gets over along with all required contractual tests, the Jubail 3A desalination plant will enter commercial operation and produce drinking water for an equivalent population of three million inhabitants.

Abengoa’s scope of work includes provision of engineering, supply and construction services for the plant in consortium with SepcoIII.