Saudi Arabia's Bahri Starts Commercial Operations of Floating Desalination Barges
The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri) has launched commercial activities at its three floating desalination barges, according to Zawya. A statement submitted to the Saudi Stock Exchange explained that harsh weather in the Red Sea late in 2024 delayed the transport and mooring of the third barge, impacting the operation start date.
Bahri indicated that the full financial effect of this project will appear in its financial results beginning in the second quarter of 2025.
Project Agreement and Capacity
In December 2019, Bahri signed a 20-year contract with the state-owned Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC) worth 760 million Saudi riyals (approximately $202.60 million). This agreement is for supplying desalinated water from Bahri’s floating stations to SWCC’s desalination tanks.
- Each station produces 50,000 cubic meters of desalinated water daily.
- The combined production capacity from the three stations totals 150,000 cubic meters per day.
Project Timeline
Initially, operations were planned to start in the fourth quarter of 2020, as announced in Bahri’s 2019 press release.
“In December 2023, Bahri announced that the barges were undergoing testing and commissioning, with commercial operations anticipated to begin in the second half of 2024.”
However, due to weather-related delays, the final commencement of commercial operations was postponed to late 2024 and early 2025.
Summary
Bahri’s floating desalination project marks a significant step in expanding Saudi Arabia’s water supply infrastructure, now actively producing and delivering large volumes of desalinated water.
Author’s summary: Bahri has begun commercial operation of three floating desalination barges after weather delays, aiming to supply 150,000 cubic meters of water daily under a 20-year contract with SWCC.
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