Khaled Al-Balahidi

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

 

RAS AL-KHAIR – Minister of Water and Electricity Abdullah Al-Hussayen commissioned the first phase of world’s largest desalination project here on Tuesday.



The plant for production and pumping of desalinated water and generation of electricity is located in the Ras Al-Khair Industrial City, 75 km north-west of Jubail. The plant is set to generate 15,000 jobs.



Al-Hussayen, who is also chairman of the SWCC board, said that the project, which is estimated to cost a total of more than SR27 billion, consists of the largest desalination pumping plant ever built in the history of SWCC.



“The plant has the production capacity of 1.025 million cubic meters of desalinated water per day and electricity production capacity of 2,600 MW. The plant will supply 1,350 MW of electricity to Maaden, and 1,050 MW to Saudi Electricity Co., in addition to 200 MW to be used within the plant,” he said.



A total of 800,000 cubic meters of water will be supplied to Riyadh city while another 100,000 cubic meters to Al-Washm, Sudair, Majma, Al-Zulfi and Al-Ghat regions. A total of 100,000 cubic meters will be supplied to the regions located north of the Eastern Province, including Hafar Al-Batin, Qaisoomah, and Qaryat Al-Olya.