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A new desalination plant set to produce 60 million imperial gallons of fresh water per day is coming to Fujairah, with a contracted production capacity of 60 MIGD of desalinated water, supported by storage capacity equivalent to 18 hours of production.

The plant will be located within the Port of Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman, with access to key maritime and land infrastructure.

The development and investment arm of Etihad Water and Electricity (EtihadWE) signed an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) agreement with NMDC Infra and Lantania Aguas for the Fujairah I Independent Water Producer (IWP) project, with a total investment value of Dh1.046 billion.

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The Fujairah I IWP is the second project procured by EtihadWE in partnership with the private sector under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, following the Naqa'a IWP, which has a capacity of 150 MIGD.

Delivery and impact

The project is expected to be delivered over approximately 30 months, covering civil works, process systems and commissioning, with initial operations beginning at partial capacity before reaching full production of 60 MIGD upon completion.

Once operational, the plant will provide a dependable supply of desalinated water to households, businesses and strategic industries in Fujairah and across EtihadWE's service areas, particularly during periods of peak demand.

The signing ceremony was held at the Make It In the Emirates exhibition in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and was witnessed by Eng. Yousif Ahmed Al Ali, Chief Executive Officer of EtihadWE and Chairman of the development company, and Dr. Yasser Zaghloul, Group Chief Executive Officer of NMDC Group.

The agreement was signed by Eng. Mohammed Al Shehhi, Chief Executive Officer of the development and investment arm of EtihadWE, Haris Giatsos, Chief Executive Officer of NMDC Infra, and Pedro Almagro, Chief Executive Officer of Lantania Aguas.

Future-ready water assets

"This project marks an important step in EtihadWE's journey to develop SWRO capacity across its network," said Eng. Mohammed Al Shehhi. "The Fujairah I IWP will add important investment value to EtihadWE's portfolio as we continue developing reliable, efficient and future-ready water assets."

Haris Giatsos said the project reflects NMDC Infra's commitment to delivering critical infrastructure that supports the UAE's long-term development priorities. "Water security is a key pillar of sustainable growth, and we bring our expertise in large-scale project delivery to support this priority," he said.

Pedro Almagro described the award as a significant milestone for Lantania Aguas. "This is our first project in the UAE and confirms that NMDC Infra's entry into the shareholding of Lantania Aguas was the right decision," he said.

The Fujairah I IWP forms part of EtihadWE's broader strategy to expand water production capacity through energy-efficient reverse osmosis technology, supporting national water security objectives and the UAE's long-term sustainable development goals.

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