Veolia, through its consolidated entity Bahwan Veolia Water (BVW), a partnership between Veolia and Bahwan Engineering Company, has been awarded a five-year operations and maintenance (O&M) contract by Al Asilah Operation and Maintenance (AOM) for the Al Asilah Desalination Plant.
With a production capacity of 80,000 cu m/day, Al Asilah strengthens Veolia’s contribution to Oman’s water security. This is the fourth state-of-the-art facility operated by Veolia in Oman, following those in Sur, Barka IV, and Salalah.
As a leading player in this strategic field in Oman, Veolia has been helping to provide the highest-quality water for nearly 20 years through its state-of-the-art facilities, increasingly innovative and efficient.
Together with the Sur Desalination Plant the Group will produce quality drinking water for 600,000 inhabitants across the entire South Al Sharqiyah Governorate.
The proximity of the two plants will enable sharing of technical resources, knowledge transfer and the deployment of proven operational practices, strengthening efficiency and reliability across both facilities, it stated.
Veolia’s scope and expertise cover the operation and maintenance of the desalination plant including the on-site solar photovoltaic farm. By combining its water and energy expertise, the group will optimise operational performance and support lower-carbon drinking water production.
Philippe Bourdeaux, Executive Senior VP Africa, Near and Middle East, said: "Desalination is a cornerstone of water security in the Middle East, and Oman is a perfect example of how innovation, local expertise and renewable energy can come together to deliver resilient, lower-carbon water services."
"Through the Al Asilah plant, and our expanded presence in Oman in the field of drinking water production, since we already operate three large-scale facilities, we are strengthening our long-term strategic partnership with Oman while supporting our ambition to double the desalination capacity we operate worldwide by 2030," he stated.
Bahwan Engineering Company said: "Our partnership with Veolia brings together international expertise and local capabilities to support the reliable performance and long-term upkeep of essential water infrastructure in Oman. Through Bahwan Veolia Water, we are committed to maintaining the assets entrusted to us to high standards of safety, efficiency and reliability, while further developing our expertise in water infrastructure operations and maintenance."
"We look forward to building on this contract to expand our services across the water sector, supporting Oman Vision 2040," he added.
The plant is owned by Al Asilah Desalination Company (ADC), whose major shareholders include Japan’s JGC Holdings Corporation and Oman’s Bahwan Group. This new contract brings together Veolia’s global desalination expertise and its partners’ local and international capabilities to strengthen water security in South Al Sharqiyah.
Sunao Horii, General Manager, Al Asilah Operation & Maintenance said: "It has been 672 days since we received Veolia’s Expression of Interest. Over this long journey, we have had many discussions and gone through some tough negotiations together."
"Today, however, is not the end of that journey. It marks the beginning of a new chapter and the start of our journey together. I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to everyone whose dedication and hard work have made this achievement possible," he added.