AES Arabia Ltd. said that it had won contracts to build before the end of 2010 two water treatment units for a cement plant being constructed by French firm Lafarge in the town of Ain Arab, about 110 miles east of Aleppo. AES Arabia, which is based in Riyadh, said the two contracts were worth SR10 million ($2.7 million). "Syria offers promising opportunities in water desalination and treatment... Saudi firms have the experience and the ability to carry out many Syrian projects especially as the two countries currently seek to develop economic, trade and investment relations," said Fawaz Al-Malki, CEO of AES Arabia. Speaking to Arab News, he said his company had started conducting engineering studies for the two plants. "The first plant will have a capacity to purify 140 cubic meters of water daily," he said, adding that the purified water would be used for irrigation purposes. Al-Malki said the plant would apply the Moving Bed Bioreactor (MBBR) Integrated Wastewater Treatment System. This pre-engineered wastewater treatment system is the latest in fixed film technology where suspended biomass carriers are designed to create a large surface area for biofilm growth. The second plant, he said, would apply the reverse osmosis system, which is the most developed technology worldwide, adding that it would have a capacity to treat 5,375 cubic meters daily. The water from this plant will be used by the electricity plant of cement factory. Al-Malki said his company had carried out a number of desalination and water purification projects in Syria for petroleum and industrial companies. "We have also trained Syrian technical staff at our regional center in Riyadh, on operation and management of water treatment and desalination plants," he said.
