Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) has announced that a total of 26 international utility project developers have expressed their interest in developing the 200,000-cu-m-day capacity Dammam West ISTP Outfall Pipeline project.

 

The project is part of the Dammam West Independent Sewage Treatment Plant (ISTP) which is expandable up to 350,000 cu m/day for a 25-year term. The  ISTP is being implemented on a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (Boot) model, said a statement from SWPC.

 

The development of the associated outfall pipeline is required to convey unused Treated Sewage Effluent from the ISTP to the disposal location within the Arabian Gulf with total approximate length of 29 km for the land and marine sections, to carry a capacity of up to 350,000 m3/day, it added.

 

According to SWPC, the top utility project developers vying for the project include European majors - Vinci Construction Grands Projects (France); SA de Obras y Servicios Copasa and energy group Elecnor (both from Spain); Besix-Six Construct (Belgium) and Arkoil Technologies Nederland (Holland) in addition to US infrastructure group Infralinx Capital Partners and China Railway Construction (International) Company. 

 

Of these EoIs, 16 are from Saudi companies including Ajlan and Bros Energy Company; Al Bawani Water and Power; Al Jazea Contracting and Trading; Alkhorayef Water and Power Technologies Company; Batco Saudi Construction; Mowah; Saudi Arabian Amiantit; Thabat Construction and Al Sharif Group Holding in consortium with Sicim SPA.

 

In addition to these, three GCC players are also in the race - Passawant Energy and Power, a German-based subsidiary of Dubai-based Drake & Scull International and Metito Utilities (both from UAE) and Bahrain's energy investment company Lamar Holding. 

 

SWPC said the winning developer/developer consortium will be responsible for the financing, engineering, procurement, construction, implementation of the pipeline. 

 

On completion, the pipeline will be transferred to the National Water Company (NWC), which will then assume responsibility for operation and maintenance. 

 

SWPC is then likely to sign an outfall pipeline development agreement with the selected developer/developer consortium with payments to be made over a term to be determined commencing from the date of transfer to NWC. 

 

SWPC has signed up Deloitte Financial Advisory Services as the lead and financial advisor; Atkins Global as technical advisor and Pinsent Masons as legal advisor for the Dammam West ISTP Outfall Pipeline Project.-TradeArabia News Service