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Saudi’s strategic surge in water transmission and storage PPPs

Saudi Arabia is turning to PPP models to finance and deliver vast transmission and storage networks to secure supply amid growing demand.

By SHARAKAT

South Asia Gas Enterprises (Sage), a joint venture between India’s Siddho Mal Group and a UK-based deepwater technology firm, announced in 2010 that it would build the world’s deepest underwater transnational pipeline.

The Middle East to India deepwater pipeline (MEIDP) will supply gas from GCC states to India. Running from Oman’s Middle East compression station to the Gujurat pipeline receiving terminal, it will be underwater for 1,300 kilometres, at a maximum depth of 3,400 metres. The MEIDP is designed to carry up to 1.1 billion cubic feet a day of gas to supply the Indian energy market and will also be able to supply gas to other areas of Oman and the UAE on its way.

Consultancy on the project is being undertaken by Australia’s Peritus, and the pipeline is now at a front-end engineering and design (feed) stage, being carried out by Engineers India.

The feed is due to be completed in 2015, and the whole project is due for completion in 2020.