His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the UAE Presidential Court, officially opened the “NAQA’A” Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant in the Emirate of Umm Al Qaiwain. This plant is one of the largest seawater desalination projects in the world that utilizes SWRO technology.
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In addition, operating under the independent producer system, the plant has a capacity to produce 150 million gallons of desalinated water per day.
Detailed briefing on plant functioning and implementation
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, UAE minister of Energy and Infrastructure and chairman of the Board of Directors of Etihad Water and Electricity. Also present were Yousef Ahmed Al Ali, CEO of the company, and several other senior officials.
During the ceremony, Sheikh Mansour received a detailed explanation from the CEO and the project team regarding the functioning and implementation stages of the plant. The first phase, which began in the second half of 2021, involved experimental operation with a daily production capacity of 50 million gallons. Moreover, the second phase was completed, enabling the plant to operate at its full production capacity of 150 million gallons per day by the end of 2022.
This project was a collaborative effort between Etihad Water and Electricity, Mubadala, and ACWA Power, a utilities developer from Saudi Arabia.
UAE’s commitment to water security
Expressing his pride in the completion of “NAQA’A,” Sheikh Mansour emphasized that its inauguration reaffirms the UAE’s commitment to translating water security priorities into concrete initiatives. He also highlighted the leadership’s dedication to sustainability and the well-being of its citizens.
For his part, Al Mazrouei said “NAQA’A” plays a crucial role in strengthening the UAE’s water sector infrastructure by providing an annual production capacity of approximately 50 billion gallons.
Furthermore, he added that this effectively addresses the water requirements of approximately 2 million residents residing in the northern regions of the country.
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