Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) is expected to issue the request for proposals (RFP) for a contract to develop an independent water project (IWP) in Jubail in the first quarter of 2024.

SWPC recently qualified nine individual companies and consortiums that can bid for the contract to develop, finance and operate the planned Jubail 4 and 6 IWP scheme.

Located in Jubail in Saudi Arabia's eastern province, the plants will be able to treat 600,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d) of seawater using reverse osmosis technology.

According to a source close to the project, final approvals are under way for the project's tender documents. 

• Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa)
• Acciona (Spain)
• Acwa Power (local)
• Ajlan & Bros (local) / Rawafid Industrial Company (local)
• Al-Jomaih Energy Water Company (local)  / Sogex Oman Company (local) 
• GS Inima (Spain/South Korea)
• International Power (Engie, France)
• Marubeni Corporation (Japan)
• Power & Water Utility Company for Jubail & Yanbu (Marafiq, local)

Interested companies submitted statements of qualifications for the contract in March, as MEED reported. 

Thirty-five companies, including 16 Saudi-based firms, previously expressed interest in the project. 

The desalination plant will be located 18 kilometres south of Jubail Industrial City, adjacent to four existing desalination units – Jubail phase one, Jubail phase two, and the Jubail 3A and 3B IWP facilities.

As with the previous seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) IWP contracts already awarded in the kingdom, the successful bidder, through a project company, will develop the project and sell the entire capacity and output to SWPC under a 25-year water-purchase agreement (WPA).

A credit support agreement from the government of Saudi Arabia backs SWPC’s obligations under the WPA.

SWPC’s transaction advisory team for the project comprises Netherlands-headquartered KPMG Professional Services as lead and financial adviser, UK-based Eversheds Sutherland as legal adviser and Canada’s WSP as technical adviser.

It also appointed UAE-based Future Water & Power Consulting to assist with the project tender and in finalising the site studies required for the bid.

The project is among the nine IWPs planned between 2022 and 2028 by SWPC, including the Ras Mohaisen IWP project, which is in the bid stage.

SWPC has awarded the contracts for six IWP projects in Saudi Arabia - Rabigh 3, Shuqaiq 3, Yanbu 4 (Ar-Rayis 1), Jubail 3A, Jubail 3B and Rabigh 4. A seventh contract for developing the Shuaibah 3 SWRO plan was also directly negotiated and awarded in 2022.

The seven IWP schemes have a total combined capacity of 3.3 million cm/d.