Emirates Hydro has invited companies to submit a letter of intent to develop two new desalination plants in Abu Dhabi. The two plants on Saadiyat Island and Hudayriat Island will use low-carbon-intensive reverse osmosis technology to provide nearly 100 million imperial gallons of water a day to about 180,000 households in Abu Dhabi, Ewec said in a statement.

The plants are part of a reverse osmosis stand-alone water project in the Abu Dhabi Islands. The project, once operational, will be Ewec's seventh and eighth reverse osmosis desalination plants, advancing Ewec's strategic move to decouple electricity and water production capacity and support the decarbonization of water and electricity production, the statement said. Reverse osmosis is a membrane-based desalination method that uses less energy than the thermal process of producing fresh water. The approach helps reduce energy intensity in industries that account for a large share of regional electricity consumption.

Othman Al Ali, CEO of Ewec, said that Ewec is making rapid and tangible changes to the water and energy production mix with a focus on sustainability in support of the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 and the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative.

The UAE, OPEC's third-largest oil producer, aims to be carbon neutral by 2050 and is focused on developing clean energy projects. The country plans to make $163.3 billion worth of clean and renewable energy investments over the next three years.

Ewec invites developers to submit their expressions of interest by September 30. Following a review of the Expression of Interest, it will issue an application for eligibility to proceed to the next stage. The project will involve the development, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of both plants. A successful developer or consortium of developers will own up to 40 percent of a special purpose vehicle, while the rest will be held indirectly by the Abu Dhabi government, the statement said.Editor/XingWentao