Saudi Arabia issues RFQ for two key sewage treatment plant projects
Staff Report,
8 Jan 2022
Riyadh East plant in capital and Khamis Mushait plant in Asir province to have 100,000 and 50,000 cubic metres per day capacity respectively
Saudi Water Partnerships Company (SWPC) has issued request for qualifications (RFQs) for the development of two independent sewage treatment plants (ISTP) in the kingdom with a total capacity of 150,000 cubic metres per day.
The two plants will be the Riyadh East ISTP with a capacity of 100,000 cubic metres per day in the Saudi capital, while the other is the Khamis Mushait ISTP with a capacity of 50,000 cubic metres per day, which will be located in the Asir Province in the country’s southwest.
A statement from SWPC said that it had announced at the end last year that it was considering the option to bundle both the Riyadh East and Khamis Mushait ISTP and seek bidders for the Bundled ISTPs together under one Request for Proposal (RFP). The successful bidder will then be awarded the Bundled ISTPs. However, each project will be implemented by a separate project company, which will be incorporated by the successful bidder following award of the Bundled ISTPs, it added.
According to SWPC, a total of 42 utility project developers, including 23 Saudi companies, had expressed their interests in the projects.
The top firms eyeing the project include Spanish infrastructure majors Acciona, Abengoa Agua; Cobra; GS Inima Environment and Copasa Group; French groups Veolia; Saur Sas and Suez International; Dutch utility specialist Arkoil Technologies; and Ireland-based Ask Environmental Services. In addition, Korea's Samsung Engineering and the local units of China Gezhouba Group and Harbour Engineering Company had also expressed interest.
Among the top Saudi firms in the race are Ajlan & Bros, Marafiq, AFAC, Tawzea, Al Bawani Water & Power (AWP), Nesma, Alkhorayef Water and Power Technologies, Haaco, AWT, Alfanar Company, Al Yamama, Lamar Saudi, Mowah and Tamasuk Holding Company.
The regional heavyweights who have expressed interests in the project include UAE groups Utico and Metito; Kuwait-based Alghanim International General Trading & Contracting; and Egypt's Orascom Construction and Hassan Allam Holding.
According to SWPC, the winning bidders will be incorporated to develop each facility under a 25-year sewage treatment agreement with the utility firm.