Saudi Arabia's Water Transmission Company (WTCO) has announced that global utility developers including Spanish groups Acciona Agua, Elecnor and Cox Water; Indian infrastructure majors Kalpataru Projects and Megha Engineering and Infrastructures as well as US-based Lonestar and Japanese group Sojitz Corporation have expressed interest in the development of Ras Mohaisen-Baha-Makkah Independent Water Transmission System (IWTS) in addition to several regional industry players.

 

Part of the Western Supply Group, the IWTS, which runs 300 km long, will have a contracted transmission capacity of 515,000 cu m per day.

 

WTCO said regional heavyweights including Kuwaiti group Alghanim International as well UAE groups Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa); Contrax International DMCC and Emirates Utilities Development Company too are vying for the key project along with Egyptian contractor Orascom Construction.

 

For the project, WTCO said several top Saudi developers such as Al Bawani Capital; Nesma; Al Bawardi Group; Al Jomaih Energy & Water; Al Kobraish lnvestment and Construction; Alkhorayef Water and Power Technologies; Al Yamamah Water Projects; Al Ayuni Investment & Contracting; Alrawaf Contracting; Buhur For Investment Company; Precision Scientific Equipment; Rawafid Industrial Company and Thrustboring Construction Company were in the fray.

 

As per the tender notification from WTCO, the winning developer/developer consortium will be implementing the project on a design, build, finance, lease and transfer (DBFLT) model.

 

It will then lease the entire transmission capacity to WTCO under a water transmission development and lease agreement. The term of the WTDLA is expected to be up to 35 years.

 

The Saudi National Water Strategy (NWS 2030), in accordance with the Saudi Vision 2030, recognizes the critical importance of ensuring sustainable development of the kingdom’s water resources while providing affordable high-quality services.

 

Amongst the key goals under NWS 2030 are reducing the water demand supply gap and to provide 90% of national urban supply by desalinated water to reduce reliance on non-renewable ground sources.

 

Through the Independent Water Transmission System (IWTS) programme, the Saudi government aims to achieve the aforementioned goals, by developing the necessary potable Water Transmission Systems (WTS) network comprising of pipelines and interim/terminal storage facilities to provide critical connectivity between the consumption centers and the upcoming desalination plants, it added.

 

For the Saudi project, Synergy Consulting IFA is the lead and financial adviser; Clifford Chance as legal advisor and ILF as the technical advisor.-TrabiaArabia News Service