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15 MLD SWRO & BWRO Plant Operation & Maintenance – Ma’aden / SUEZ

15 MLD SWRO & BWRO Plant Operation & Maintenance – Ma’aden / SUEZ

The Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of the 15 MLD (Million Liters per Day) SWRO & BWRO Water Treatment Plant in Ras Al Khair City is a highly specialized industrial desalination project. Managed for Ma’aden Phosphate Company in partnership with SUEZ, this dual-technology facility integrates both Seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) and Brackish Water Reverse Osmosis (BWRO). Engineered to produce 15,000 cubic meters of high-purity water daily, the plant ensures a resilient and versatile water supply essential for the rigorous demands of Ma'aden's phosphate processing and mining infrastructure.

Scope of Work

Under the operational framework established by SUEZ and Ma’aden, the O&M contract involves the comprehensive lifecycle management of the facility to guarantee continuous, efficient, and safe water production:

  • Continuous Facility Management: 24/7 automated operation via central DCS/SCADA systems, meticulously managing the hydraulic balance between the high-salinity seawater and brackish water treatment trains to optimize energy consumption.

  • Preventative & Corrective Maintenance: Execution of proactive maintenance schedules and rapid repairs for all rotating equipment, high-pressure pumps, Energy Recovery Devices (ERDs), and instrumentation to ensure zero unplanned process disruptions.

  • Laboratory & Quality Control: Rigorous on-site testing and water quality monitoring at every stage—from raw intake to final permeate—ensuring strict compliance with Ma’aden’s industrial process requirements and SUEZ’s global operational standards.

Technical Processes Managed

The operations team oversees a complex, dual-feed treatment architecture designed to handle varying raw water chemistries and maximize overall recovery rates:

  • Integrated Pretreatment: Management of the primary filtration stages, including chemical dosing and Multimedia or Ultrafiltration (UF) systems, to protect both SWRO and BWRO membranes from fouling and scaling.

  • Dual Membrane Management (SWRO & BWRO): Expert operation of two distinct reverse osmosis processes. The SWRO train handles the high salinity of Arabian Gulf seawater, while the BWRO train efficiently processes lower-salinity brackish groundwater or acts as a secondary pass to polish the SWRO permeate into ultra-pure water.

  • Clean-In-Place (CIP) & Asset Preservation: Execution of automated, precision-dosed CIP protocols tailored specifically to the different fouling tendencies of the SWRO and BWRO membranes, thereby extending membrane lifespan and maintaining optimal flux.

Strategic & Environmental Impact

By combining Ma’aden's industrial vision with SUEZ’s global water management expertise, this 15 MLD facility delivers unmatched operational reliability. The dual SWRO/BWRO approach provides operational flexibility and significantly improves energy efficiency and water recovery rates. Furthermore, strict adherence to environmental discharge protocols ensures the protection of Ras Al Khair’s marine ecosystem while supporting the sustainable expansion of Saudi Arabia's mining sector.