The UAE’s Al-Etihad Biwater Wastewater Company has inaugurated the country’s first wastewater treatment plant at Al-Saad near Al-Ain in Abu Dhabi emirate.

Al-Saad wastewater treatment plant is designed to treat a maximum capacity of 92,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d) and is currently operating at 80,000 cm/d.

In addition to wastewater treatment, Al-Saad plant also has a cogeneration facility, which uses biogas generated by the anaerobic digestion of the sludge to produce 27 per cent of the energy required for the operation of the plant.

The project is one of two plants that constitute ISTP1 (independent sewage treatment plant), the first privatisation project in the wastewater sector in the UAE. The other project, Al-Wathba, has a maximum capacity of 345,000 cm/d and is at its final commissioning stage.

The projects are operated through a 25-year concession granted by Abu Dhabi Sewerage Services Company (ADSSC) under which Al-Etihad Biwater Wastewater Company is required to build, own and operate the wastewater treatment plants. 

Construction of the plant was carried out by Kuwait’s Kharafi National and the UK’s Biwater International.

Al-Etihad Biwater Wastewater Company is a private joint stock company owned by Al-Etihad Wastewater Company and Emirates Utilities Water & Partner.