Toray Industries, Inc., announced today that it has received a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane order for the Yanbu 4 IWP desalination plant in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This will be the Kingdom’s first seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant using clean energy under a public-private-partnership (PPP) structure.
The Yanbu 4 desalination plant is located 140 kilometers west of Madinah province, near the town of Ar Rayyis. With the production capacity of 450,000 cubic meters per day of potable water once it is completed, the plant will supply potable water to Makkah and Madinah regions respectively.
Dammam-based Toray Membrane Middle East LLC (TMME) will supply the RO elements and provide technical services. Toray will accordingly help alleviate water shortages not only in Makkah and Madinah regions but in the Middle East and North Africa through TMME, which will ultimately lead to stable energy supply throughout the world.
Key factors in Toray obtaining this order were its RO membrane technology and robust record in the Middle East established over the past 15 plus years, delivering lower capital investments and operating costs compared to the conventional evaporation method. Gulf countries are investing extensively in infrastructure to cater to rising population and demands. The Yanbu 4 desalination project being another example of the paradigm shift.
Over the years, Toray has expanded RO membrane sales, production, and technical support to help resolve global water issues. Applications extend from desalination and waste water reclamation to industrial usage. The aggregate water production capacity of Toray RO membranes is 120,000,000 cubic meters per day. That is enough to serve the water needs of 840 million people.
Providing access to clean water is pivotal to the Toray Group Sustainability Vision, representing a roadmap to the World as Envisioned by Toray Group in 2050, and embodies Toray Vision 2030, through which the Group pursues sound, sustainable growth.
Toray will continue to provide RO membranes and other advanced membrane technologies and strengthen technical services to cater to local demand. It will thereby help resolve water issues in the Middle East and other regions in which industrial and population expansions will likely boost water demand.
Order details
Yanbu 4 desalination plant location: Ar Rayyis, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Production capacity: 450,000 cubic meters daily
Projected operational start: First half of 2024
Developers: ENGIE (40%), Nesma (30%) and Mowah (30%)
Engineering, procurement and construction contractor: Doosan Enerbility