The Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC), formerly called the Water Electricity Company (WEC), has invited firms to submit proposals for the contract to conduct site studies for potential independent water projects (IWPs), independent sewage treatment plants (ISTPs) and independent strategic water reservoir schemes.

Consultants have until 18 July to submit proposals to the client.

The successful bidder will produce:

• Topographic studies
• Onshore and offshore geotechnical surveys
• Sweater analyses

The appointed firm will be required to secure all of the necessary permits from local, national and regional regulatory authorities for conducting the required studies and surveys.

SWPC has made progress with a number of major desalination and sewage treatment projects in 2019, all of which will be developed by the private sector.

MEED recently reported that the water company had invited developers to prequalify for the planned Jubail 3A and Jubail 3B IWPs.

The proposed Jubail phase 3A plant will have a capacity of 600,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d) and the phase 3B project will have a capacity of 570,000 cm/d.

India’s Synergy Consulting has been appointed as lead and financial adviser for the projects, with UK-based DLA Piper selected as legal adviser and the UK’s Atkins as technical adviser.

The client has also invited prequalified developers to submit proposals for the planned Yanbu 4 IWP. Developers have until 30 September to submit proposals for the 450,000 cm/d plant.

The project will be developed with a concession period of 25 years, under which the successful developer will sign a water purchase agreement (WPA) with the Saudi government.

SWPC has appointed Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation as lead and financial adviser, with the UK’s DLA Piper and Austria’s ILF Consulting Engineers as legal and technical advisers, respectively.