The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri) has initiated commercial operations at its three floating desalination barges, reports Zawya.
According to a statement issued to the Saudi Stock Exchange, adverse weather conditions in the Red Sea during the latter part of 2024 caused delays in the transportation and mooring of the third barge at its designated location, which affected the timeline for commencing operations.
The company noted that the complete financial impact of the project will be reflected in its results beginning in the second quarter of 2025.
In December 2019, Bahri entered into a 20-year agreement with the state-owned Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), valued at 760 million Saudi riyals ($202.60 million), to provide desalinated water from its floating stations to SWCC’s desalination tanks.
Each station is designed to produce 50,000 cubic meters of water per day, with a combined total capacity of 150,000 cubic meters per day.
The project was initially scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2020, according to a press release issued by the company in 2019.
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.
