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Under the patronage of His Excellency Dr. Saud bin Hamoud Al-Habsi, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries Wealth, and Water Resources, NamaPower and Water Company signed an agreement with a consortium of three local and international companies for the third phase project of the Ghubrah desalination plant, which is the largest desalination plant and one of the prominent strategic projects in the water sector in the Sultanate of Oman. The plant is expected to commence operation in the first quarter of 2027 and will represent a significant step towards enhancing water security in the Sultanate of Oman. The plant's capacity accounts for approximately 20% of the contracted capacities in the main water network.

The plant operates with the latest water desalination technologies, utilizing reverse osmosis technology, contributing to enhancing electricity consumption efficiency and increasing the capacity of producing desalinated water to meet current and future population growth requirements. The investment cost of the Ghubrah desalination plant (phase three) is estimated at around 125 million Omani rials, with a production capacity of 300,000 cubic meters per day of desalinated water. The plant's area exceeds 70,000 square meters and includes a potable water tank with a capacity of 45,000 cubic meters per day.

The Capital Desalination Company will undertake the construction of the plant, comprising a consortium of three international and local companies: GS Inima, a Spanish company with over fifty years of experience in water purification projects, one of the leading companies globally in water desalination and treatment, and a pioneer in water desalination using reverse osmosis. The alliance also includes the Saudi-based Jemaih Energy and Water Company and the Omani-based Sogex Company.

Engineer Abdulaziz bin Saeed Al-Shithani, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nama Power and Water Procurement, and Marta Verdi, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Capital Desalination Company, signed the agreement.

Ahmed bin Salem bin Mohammed Al-Abri, Acting CEO of Nama Power and Water, stated that the agreement confirms  Nama Power and Water Procurement commitment to meeting the growing demand for water and electricity and continuous work on implementing new projects to achieve energy security and provide potable water through expanding the production of energy and desalinated water at the best economic cost.

Al-Abri added that the agreement for the Ghubrah desalination plant project (phase three) is signed concurrently with several agreements recently concluded by the company, including new contracts for purchasing energy and water with four power and desalination plants, confirming the attractiveness of investment in the energy and desalination sector in the Sultanate of Oman.

Marta Verde, CEO of GS Inima and Chairperson of the Capital Desalination Company, expressed pleasure in being a partner in developing energy and water projects in the Sultanate of Oman and valued Nama Power and Water Procurement  trust in developing an important project like the Ghubrah desalination plant (phase three). Marta Verde emphasized their commitment to providing the most efficient solutions in this project, particularly with their extensive experience in water desalination using the latest and most sustainable technology. The company has constructed over thirty plants worldwide in the past fifty years and has provided its latest expertise in designing and constructing the Barka Phase Five desalination plant in the Sultanate of Oman. The company prioritizes sustainability by adhering to the highest standards, including providing practical design solutions, minimizing electricity consumption, and enhancing quality through water quality control systems in operation and maintenance. The company also adopts successful long-term strategies to protect the environment, complying with environmental monitoring programs  and ensuring minimal environmental impact.

Dr. Suhaib Abudayyeh, CEO of Sogex Oman, affirmed that energy and water projects in the Sultanate of Oman represent one of the attractive investment fields and successful models of partnership between the public and private sectors. He emphasized that the Ghubrah desalination plant is a significant step in efforts to enhance water security, given the substantial increase in the plant's desalinated water production capacity in the Sultanate of Oman. He expressed confidence that the engineering capabilities, technical expertise, and extensive experience in the water desalination field possessed by the alliance companies would contribute to enhancing the plant's operational efficiency and reducing production costs.

Nama Power and Water Procurement is the exclusive purchaser of all electricity and desalinated water production projects in the Sultanate of Oman, currently contracting with 13 desalination plants and 15 power plants. The company is also developing a range of renewable energy projects using solar and wind energy to achieve the targets of Vision Oman 2040 and achieve the goal of net-zero emissions by around 2050.

About GS Inima

GS Inima, Group belonging to the Korean multinational GS E&C (http://www.gsenc.com/en/), specializes in Environmental activities associated with the integrated water cycle and renewable energy. The GS Inima Group is active in all phases of the projects in which it participates: Design, Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Financing, Operation and Maintenance, and is active in both the public and private markets. With a presence in more than 10 countries and in four of the five continents, its project portfolio exceeded 8.141 million euros in 2022, with a turnover of 299 million euros and an EBITDA of more than 85 million euros.