Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) has awarded its Mirfa 2 Reverse Osmosis (M2 RO) Independent Water Project (IWP) to a consortium consisting of ENGIE and TAQA.
TAQA will take the majority share of the equity in the project and hold a stake in the operations and maintenance company. Following the award, the project’s Water Purchase Agreement (WPA) was signed between TAQA, ENGIE, and EWEC.
The M2 RO project will desalinate seawater using low-carbon intensive RO technology to produce up to 120 million imperial gallons per day (MIGD) of potable water, equivalent to approximately 550,000 cubic meters per day, sufficient to meet the water demand of up to 210,000 households in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Low-carbon-intensive RO water desalination plants are up to 96 percent more efficient than traditional thermal desalination plants, and help reduce more than 85 percent of carbon emissions associated with water production.
Othman Al Ali CEO – EWEC
“We look forward to this strategic collaboration with TAQA and ENGIE, which will see the development of the UAE’s third largest low-carbon intensive RO water desalination plant. The development of the M2 RO water desalination project enables EWEC to further accelerate its strategic initiative of decoupling water desalination operations from power generation, and implement tangible and effective actions that contribute to the achievement of UAE Water Security Strategy 2036 and the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative objectives.”
Mr. Al Ai added that “Using advanced techno-economic modeling to strategically plan the sector’s capacity requirements, EWEC is continuing to invest heavily in the development of RO projects and by 2030. We expect over 90 percent of our water production to be via RO, resulting in the total carbon emissions associated with water production falling from 14.6 million tons in 2020 to 2.1 million tons by 2030, reinforcing our position as a leader in advancing sustainable, secure water and power supply in Abu Dhabi and across the UAE.”
Mr. Farid Al Awlaqi, Executive Director of Generation at TAQA Group, commented that “As the low carbon power and water champion of Abu Dhabi, TAQA is proud to be a principal shareholder in the M2 RO project, which will be critical to supporting national decarbonization efforts and long-term water security for the UAE. As a company anchored in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, this project is in line with our recently announced ESG strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
Mr. Frederic Claux, Managing Director, Thermal and Supply AMEA, ENGIE, said that “As a leading actor in desalination and an expert in reverse osmosis technology, we are delighted to add M2 RO to our portfolio. This is a significant win for our regional business demonstrating the trust placed in us by government authorities and by our partners in supporting the growing demand for water while meeting the demands of a net-zero carbon future.”
