BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 10. ACWA Power is very keen to develop the Caspian Sea desalination project in Azerbaijan, Abid Malik, Regional Head of Saudi Arabia-based ACWA Power – Central Asia, said in an exclusive interview with Trend.
He noted that Azerbaijan faces significant water resource challenges and to meet the growing demand for water in the Absheron peninsula, Azerbaijan State Water Agency Resources Agency (ADSEA) along with Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Economy has initiated development of Caspian Sea water desalination project under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
“In February 2024, Ministry of Economy/ADSEA issued a request for information (RFI) to establish a Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant with a daily capacity of 300,000 cubic meters in Sumgayit industrial area, under a Public-Private Partnership model. The bid submission date for the project in November 2024,” said Malik.
He highlighted that as the largest global developer and operator of desalination plants, ACWA Power is very keen to develop the Caspian Sea desalination project.
“ACWA Power have a proven track record with 19 desalination plants with capacity of more than 8 million cubic meters per day. Recognized as the Desalination Company of the Year on multiple occasions (latest being in 2023), we have set global benchmarks by significantly improving efficiency of desalination plants by reducing power consumption in desalination by 45% over the last decade and achieving plant’s availability rate of 99% or more (surpassing the global benchmark of 95%) while ensuring system’s reliability thus ensuring sustainable supply of potable water to communities,” said Malik.
He went on to add that ACWA Power continues to innovate, and our team has led 40 R&D projects, developed a strong network of research centers globally, and currently operates the world’s largest water desalination reverse osmosis plant in Taweelah-Abu Dhabi, UAE.
“We look forward to leveraging our expertise to support Azerbaijan in addressing its water needs efficiently and sustainably,” said Malik.
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