Sharjah Electricity and Water and Gas Authority (SEWA), a government utility in the Emirate of Sharjah, has selected, through a competitive bid, the global investor and operator of water, Metito, for the restoration project of the 20 MIGD Hamriyah Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) plant.

According to GCC Business News, Metito will be responsible for the project design, storage, construction, site excavation, inspection, testing and commissioning. The firm will also upgrade the electrical system to accommodate new equipment and integrate a Distributed Control System (DCS). It will also upgrade the SWRO system and include additional membranes on eight skids.

Mr Esam Al Mulla, Manager of the Water Production & Desalination Plants Department at SEWA, said: “The Hamriyah SWRO plant began operations in 2014 and is one of the main desalination plants serving the emirate of Sharjah. This restoration project is a milestone in supporting the UAE’s water security 2036 goals and part of Sharjah’s multipronged strategy to increase the emirate’s sustainable water supply. We are pleased to be developing it with Metito with whom we worked before and share similar values.”

Dr. Corrado Sommariva said: “We are honored to support SEWA in the feasibility, tendering, and owner engineering of this project.  The Hamriyah SWRO capacity restoration will contribute to a more sustainable water supply and more optimum operations.”

Mr Ahmed Hayajneh, Metito General Manager for Dubai, Sharjah, and the Northern Emirates, added: “It is a great honor for Metito to work with the Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority on this project, and we are committed to delivering it to the highest level of standards through utilizing and applying the latest technologies, Metito’s global know-how and local high-value engineering capabilities.”

In February 2022, SEWA had disclosed plans to increase the production of desalinated water in the northern emirate by building a new desalination plant in Al Hamriyah region.

The construction of the new project will begin in May 2022. To reduce feed pressure and power consumption, optimizing performance, it is envisaged that state-of-the-art-extra fouling Reverse Osmosis (RO) membrane technology will used.