Saturday 19th, December 2015

The Sur desalination plant extension project is nearly 70 per cent complete, officials of Veolia told the Observer.

The additional capacity produced by the project to be completed in September 2016 will meet the projected demand for potable water in the Sharqiyah Governorate. The total production of the plant is expected to reach 131,000 cubic metres per day and will enable the supply of drinking water to around 600,000 residents.

In January this year, Sharqiyah Desalination Company had announced an agreement to expand the 80,000 cubic metres Sur Desalination plant, 160 km south west of Muscat. With 70 per cent of construction now complete, under the amended Water Purchase Agreement (WPA) with Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (OPWP), the company is adding 51,000 cubic metres to what is rated as one of the largest Independent Water Projects (IWP) in Oman.

"A growing population, limited resources and increased requirements for water have triggered an increased focus on water conservation in Oman."

"The Sur plant has put much effort into reducing the environmental impact of the desalination process through energy recovery devices. We are pleased to witness the progress of the plant extension," said Xavier Joseph, CEO of Veolia Middle East.

The largest beach well reverses osmosis (RO) plant in Sur provides 350,000 inhabitants of Al Sharqiyah with clean drinking water. The RO process, which forces high pressured water through a semi-permeable membrane, separates salt, bacteria and other particles allowing clean water to filter through.

"We are proud of reaching these milestones, and remain dedicated to helping Oman meet its stringent environmental goals, while ensuring the delivery of drinking water to the Al Sharqiyah Governorate," said Philippe Paulissen, project director, Sur extension plant. 

The Sur Desalination Plant was built by a consortium composed of OTV, a Veolia subsidiary and Bahwan Engineering Company in 2007 and is currently operated by Bahwan Veolia, a JV between Bahwan and Veolia.

© Oman Daily Observer 2015