Bahrain will be able to produce nearly double the amount of power it needs to meet demand for energy once a $2.1 billion power and water desalination plant is up and running, the Trade Arabia news service said on Thursday, quoting a top government official. The Al-Dur Power and Water Desalination Plant is scheduled to be operational in November, it quoted Energy Minister Dr Abdulhussain Mirza as saying. “Bahrain's largest peak per day demand of power has been 2,816mw so far, while this plant alone will be producing 1,234mw,” he revealed. “With its commissioning, power output in Bahrain will increase to 4,000mw, which means there will be plenty of surplus electricity available if the need arose,” he said at the opening of Bapco's gas delivery system to the plant on Wednesday. “This is no doubt a significant achievement for Bapco, but also for Bahrain because this delivery system will take care of all of the power plants' needs as well as future expansion of industry in the area,” he added. Dr Mirza said after commissioning, the plant would also have a desalination capacity of 48 million gallons of seawater a day. He said the $330 million, 13.65km pipeline would help fuel massive industrial growth. “Bahrain is poised for major industrial development and this is a major milestone in that direction,” he added. Bapco chief executive Faisal Al-Mahroos said the pipeline had a capacity of 1bn standard cubic feet a day. “It consists of three pipes and two stations on the way and is 20 inches wide,” he said. The entire project was designed by Bapco engineers. “This is a major milestone for the company and for Bahrain and we are extremely proud of the achievement,” said Al Mahroos. The pipeline, he said, had been envisaged as one of the most important and biggest industrial projects being implemented in Bahrain. “This is also in line with Bapco's strategies to enhance the oil and gas sector and cater for the growing demand for energy in the future,” said Al-Mahroos. Trade Arabia said the company operates an integrated high pressure natural gas network extending from the farthest southern Bahrain Field up to the northern part of the kingdom. “Being a government entity, we undertook the responsibility and challenge of constructing gas distribution facilities in record time,” it quoted Al-Mahroos as saying.
