Acwa confirms Oman desalination contract

Project company will expand capacity of Barka 1 plant

Acwa Power Barka, the project company for the Barka 1independent water and power project (IWPP) in Oman, has confirmed that it has signed a water purchase agreement (WPA) with Oman Power & Water Procurement Company (OPWP). The deal will see the firm expand the desalination capacity of the Barka plant by 12.5 million imperial gallons a day (MIGD)

MEED reported in November that Acwa Power Barka had been awarded the contract by OPWP to expand the desalination capacity of the Barka 1 plant.

The firm, led by Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power International, will develop the expansion of the IWPP, which is due to come online by 2016.

This will be the second upgrade of the desalination capacity of the plant, with the developer having recently completed a 10-MIGD expansion.

The scheme is one of several desalination projects OPWP is moving ahead with to keep up with the increasing demand for water in the sultanate.