Governor of the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) Fehaid Bin Fahd Al-Shareef and Engineer Nabeel Izmirli, Director General of Water in Madina Region, met Monday to launch the first floating desalination plant with a daily production capacity of 25,000 cubic meters. The two men also inspected a second barge with the same capacity, the plant's new location and monitored work to anchor and operate the barges. They said all technical work has been completed to ensure safe, effective operations of the barges during their work from the coast of Al-Shaqeeq in the southwest of the Kingdom to the Yanbu coast. The inspection tour included getting acquainted with the work's progress, special utilities, workers on the two barges and operational needs including power generators, laboratories, control rooms and workers' living areas. Al-Shareef said the plants' production would help solve the problem of increasing demand for desalinated water in Madina region. He confirmed that the SWCC has developed strategic plans to meet demand in the Kingdom for desalinated water. Al-Shareef drew attention to the success of two floating desalination plants in Al-Shu'aibah and Al-Shaqeeq and said this success has encouraged the SWCC to move forward with floating plants in Madina and Yanbu Governorate. Abdullah Bajunaid, Executive Director of the International Company for Desalination Barges, said the project, at a cost of nearly SR370 million, has achieved the goal of meeting increasing demand for desalinated water in coastal areas.
