Oman Power and Water Procurement Company SAOC (OPWP) and ACWA Power Barka recently announced the signing of a Water Purchase Agreement (WPA) and other project agreements for the expansion of its existing water desalination capacity by 10 MIGD (45,460 m/day).

The Project Agreements were signed by Chairman of OPWP Saud bin Nasser Al-Shukaily, and CEO Nadeem Rizvi, of ACWA Power Barka.

A Usufruct agreement for the use of the project land will be signed between ACWA Power Barka and the Ministry of Housing. The Water Connection Agreement will be signed between ACWA Power Barka and the Public Authority for Electricity and Water.

The expansion project is an Independent Water Project (IWP) to be developed on a BOO (Build, Own, Operate) basis and will be located at Barka, 65 km north of Muscat, the capital of the Sultanate of Oman.

The expansion project will be constructed adjacent to ACWA Power Barka’s existing plant and will benefit from its synergies.

The additional water capacity produced by the expansion project will help in meeting the projected shortfall in Oman’s water desalination production capacity and the demand for potable water, which increases by 8 percent per annum.

During its Ordinary General Meeting recently, the shareholders of ACWA Power Barka approved the company entering into the project agreements required for the expansion project.

This is a fast-track project requested by the Public Authority for Electricity and Water in order to meet the expected shortfall in desalinated water particularly during the next two years, Al-Shukaily said.

Rizvi said: “In the medium to long-term, this expansion project will prove to be a well-sought solution to balance shortfalls of current desalinated water production capacity in Oman.”