Today's Edition
A. SREENIVASA REDDY (ABU DHABI)
A Dh1 billion desalination plant will be set up in Fujairah over a period of 30 months to produce 60 million imperial gallons of clean water per day.
A Memorandum of Understanding to this effect was signed at Make it in the Emirates on Tuesday by EtihadWE, NMDC Infra and Lantania Aguas.
The project, known as the Fujairah I Independent Water Producer (IWP), will be developed using seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) technology and has a total investment value of Dh1.046 billion.
The plant will be located within the Port of Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman and will have a contracted production capacity of 60 million imperial gallons per day. It will also include storage capacity equivalent to 18 hours of production.
The project is expected to be delivered over approximately 30 months, covering civil works, process systems and commissioning.
Initial operations will begin at partial capacity before reaching full production. Once operational, the plant will provide a reliable supply of desalinated water to support households, businesses and strategic industries in Fujairah and across EtihadWE’s service areas, particularly during peak demand periods.
The project is the second to be developed by EtihadWE in partnership with the private sector under the PPP model, following the Naqa’a IWP project.
Mohammed Al Shehhi, Chief Executive Officer of the development and investment arm of EtihadWE, said the project reflects the company’s commitment to developing reliable and efficient water infrastructure.
“This project marks an important step in EtihadWE’s journey to expand SWRO capacity across its network. It reflects our commitment to developing reliable, efficient and future-ready water assets that can meet growing demand and support long-term water security,” he said.
Haris Giatsos, Chief Executive Officer of NMDC Infra, said the project supports the UAE’s long-term development priorities and growing demand for water infrastructure.
“Desalination is a key area of focus as we respond to growing market demand, and we are committed to supporting the UAE by developing reliable, efficient water infrastructure,” he said.
“This project marks the starting point of our new collaboration with Lantania. We are also in the process of creating a new entity,” Giatsos told Aletihad on the sidelines of the event.
Lantania NMDC Water was established following NMDC Infra’s acquisition of a 51% stake in Lantania Aguas, expanding NMDC Group’s capabilities in desalination, water treatment and wastewater infrastructure.
“The company combines NMDC Infra’s strength in marine and large-scale infrastructure delivery with Lantania’s specialised expertise in desalination technology,” the NMDC Infra CEO said.
Pedro Almagro, Chief Executive Officer of Lantania Aguas, said the project marks the company’s first in the UAE and reflects the strength of its partnership with NMDC Infra.
“This collaboration combines NMDC’s expertise in large-scale construction and marine works with Lantania Aguas’ specialisation in desalination technology, enabling the delivery of an efficient and reliable solution,” he said.
A 30-year off-take agreement was signed by the partners, ensuring the long-term viability of the project. The agreement was signed by Mohammed Al Shehhi, Haris Giatsos and Pedro Almagro, in the presence of Yousif Ahmed Al Ali, Chief Executive Officer of EtihadWE and Chairman of the development company, and Dr Yasser Zaghloul, Group Chief Executive Officer of NMDC Group.
