Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) has announced that a developer consortium led by Vision International Investment Company has emerged as the preferred bidder for the Riyadh-Qassim Independent Water Transmission Pipeline (IWTP) Project, while the consortiums of Lamar Holding and Al Jomaih Energy and Water Company have been named the reserved bidders. 

Vision is a major Saudi development and investment holding company which provides investment for public and private sectors covering key sectors including power generation, water desalination, industrial gases, wastewater treatment and energy. 

Announcing the preferred bidders, SWPC said the Riyadh-Qassim IWTP is a strategic boost to the water infrastructure in the Saudi capital that will cater to the drinking water needs in both regions. 

The 859-km-long pipeline will have a transmission capacity of 685,000 cu m per day transmission capacity, featuring the bi-directional flow in line with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture’s plans to interconnect regions across the Kingdom and ensure reliable and sustainable water supply. 

The scope of work includes setting up of six strategic storage tanks in Riyadh with a total capacity of 1.02 million cu m in addition to 32 operational tanks along the pipeline route with a total capacity of 571,000 cu m. The project will integrate solar power solutions to cut carbon emissions while relying on the grid.

According to SWPC, Vision consortium was shortlisted as the preferred bidder for its competitive levelized water transmission cost of SAR2.63/cu m, while the consortiums of Lamar Holding (with partners Etihad Water and Electricity Company and Shaanxi Construction Engineering) - and Al Jomaih Energy and Water Company (with Alkhorayef Water and Power Technologies, Al Bawani Capital and Buhur for Investment Company) were named reserved bidders for their bids of SAR3.262/cu m and SAR3.324/cu m respectively.

The project will be developed under a build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) model for 35 years from the the date of commercial operation, which is set for the first quarter of 2030, it added.-TradeArabia News Service