Marafiq, the power and water utility company for Jubail and Yanbu, is to award the contract for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of two multi-effect distillation (MED) desalination units in Yanbu to South Korea's Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction, the company said in a statement Wednesday. A Letter of Intent for the contract was signed at Marafiq headquarters in Jubail by the company's President and CEO, Thamer S. Al-Sharhan, and Doosan Regional MD for Business Development, Hyun-Sang Ahn. According to the agreement, Doosan will not only build the MED units, but will also make arrangements for the training and development of a number of Saudi engineers for this project. Expected to be operational by the first quarter of 2013, the MED units will have a combined production capacity of 2,300 cubic meters per hour. The two units are part of Marafiq's expansion plans for its potable and process water production capacity in Yanbu Industrial city. "This project manifests the vision of Marafiq's Chairman, HRH Prince Saud Bin Abdullah Bin Thunnayan Al-Saud, to support the industrial and economic development of Saudi Arabia. It will help meet Yanbu's growing water demand and create numerous jobs for local Saudis," Al-Sharhan said. "The extension of Marafiq's water production capacity in Yanbu Industrial City will help Marafiq meet customer needs and boost development in the region.”
