Saudi Water Partnership Company recently announced the commercial operation of Taif Independent Sewage Treatment Project (ISTP) and would like to highlight its success story and photos from the different phases of the project:
Taif Independent Sewage Treatment Project (ISTP) is the first public-private partnership (PPP) project within Saudi Water Partnership Company portfolio to achieve commercial operation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The partnership started through a competitive transaction, when a consortium constitute of “Cobra Instalaciones y Servicios” and “International Water Distribution Company (TAWZEA)” was awarded to finance, build, own, operate, then transfer a sewage treatment plant northern Taif city. The project operated to treat a daily average of 100,000 cubic meter, with an expansion option to meet forecasted demand as mega projects taking place in Taif. Targeting to meet more than 50% of local content during construction, and more than 70% during operation. More than 127 Million SAR of expenditures was toward local vendors.
A challengeable construction journey of 22 months were stressed more through Covid-19 pandemic. But, the robust partnership was stronger than every obstacle, leading the project to success. State of the art design to tertiary treat the sewage goes through advanced technologies to renew the influent toward treated sewage effluent usable for numerous applications. One of these applications, contributing toward Green Saudi Initiative and supported from Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, is to irrigate more than 10,000 tree around the plant. Similarly, the sludge treatment promote more than 30% of the plant’s electricity consumption through biogas to energy. Drying the sludge to achieve more than 90% dry for beneficial use is processed via energetic Taif sun. Both, contribute into reducing carbon emissions through renewable sources. The fully enclosed inlet as well as sludge treatment processes are equipped with adequate biological and chemical odor removal systems to ensure air’s quality.
The collaborative environment between the partners and relative stakeholders leading the project to success along the term. Taif joined 6 other desalination projects in operation, and there are 8 more water projects currently under construction, as well as many others in planning and bidding phase within SWPC portfolio.