Expansion of 2.4GW power and desalination plant in Qatar

Qatar-based Umm Al Houl Power Q.P.S.C. (UHP) is going to expand one of the largest and most eco-friendly power and desalination plants in the Middle East.

The current Facility D site provides 30 percent of Qatar’s total electricity needs and 40 percent of its fresh water needs. The deal to expand Facility D IWPP reached financial close on 28 November 2019 in Qatar.

UHP is a Qatar based electric power and potable water developer, established by Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) and JERA Corporation (JERA), together with Qatar Petroleum, Qatar Electricity & Water Company Q.S.C., and Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. Under the original Facility D project, UHP is contracted under a 25-year arrangement to supply Qatar State owned power and water distributor KHARAMAA, with 2520 MW and 136.5 MIGD of desalinated water. The Facility D plant is unique because it is the first project to use large scale reverse osmosis (RO) technology in Qatar.

The project financing of the reverse osmosis expansion amounts to approximately US$389 million, co-financed with JBIC and international lenders MUFG Bank, Ltd., Mizuho Bank, Ltd., Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, Limited, the Norinchukin Bank, and KfW IPEX-Bank.

The expansion will increase water desalination capacity by 61.45 MIGD, increasing capacity to 197.95 MIGD of water by 2021. The use of RO technology will improve production efficiency and reduce the use of gas in production systems. The main construction contractor is Samsung C&T of Korea, with Acciona of Spain as the main sub-contractor, both of whom participated in the original Facility D Project.