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Desalination plants planned by Sewa to cope with demand

SHARJAH — The Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (Sewa) is currently carrying out an expansion project in the Wasit energy plant and installing desalinating units at the Al Lia plant as well as launching desalination plants in Kalba and Khorfakkan to meet the demands of the public in the emirate.

Speaking to Khaleej Times Ali Abdullah Al Nooman, Sewa Director-General, said that Sewa has already placed orders for buying Trent 60 generator sets to power the latest phase of the Wasit power plant expansion. The generator sets, which will be supplied to Sewa by Rolls Royce, would cost $40m.

He said that as part of the Sewa development projects are being carried under instruction of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. The desalination units, which will be installed in Al Lia to function with capacity of producing eight million gallons a day would cost of Dh140m. The Dh70m Khorfakan desalination plant would produce five million gallons a day.

This plant is scheduled to be set for full operation at the end of this year. In Kalba, plant desalination units will also be installed to function with capacity of two million gallons a day. In addition to these units there will also be new plant for water pumping and two water storage, which can store up to three million gallons and will begin operation at the beginning of the new year. Two desalination units, which would cost one million dirhams, will also be added to Al Hamriya water desalination plant.

Al Nooman pointed out that the drastic increase in the number of networks and stations has necessitated the need to have a central control in the network, which will be of great importance during emergencies. The new centre, which is located in Al Nasseria Power Generation plant, is considered a very beneficial source to derive comprehensive information required to prepare power generation studies. He said while noting that the centre will contribute in facilitating the exchange of information between the stations and the distribution networks.

Hamad Abdullah, Director of the newly constructed centre said that the three levels centre comprises of control room, operation room, mainataince and administration department. The centre is equipped with a device to supply extra power generation in case of emergency and in addition there is a diesel generation to guarantee the availability of electricity.

Engineer Eissa Al Zarouni, Deputy Director of the Centre said that the centre is also equipped with a communication network, which is considered the longest network, used among the various GCC countries. "This network will connect the various power generation stations to the monitoring and control system. The communication network will be used in the future time to link various administrations and head offices to the main premises of the authority," he said.

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