Latest Water Technologies of Abengoa Water - GineersNow GineersNow Engineering Magazine Issue No. 022, Abe | Page 37

water consumption by 40% by 2030, and
water reuse and efficient irrigation are part of
the eight strategic pillars of Dubai”s Demand
Side Management program.
using nano-filtration, and low-temperature
distillation, is increasing. These technologies
will step up efficiency and lower the energy
footprint of plants.
GCC countries will also aim to lower loss
from non-revenue water (NRW) in order to
strengthen water security. For instance, NRW
rates in Europe range between 3% and 5% of
the water produced, while those in the Middle
East range between 13% and 35%. Renewing
infrastructure and increasing accountability will
help address this issue. • The planned plant capacities of RO for
the GCC are increasing every quarter and
improving economies of scale. About $17
billion worth of desalination plant projects
are in the offing in the next 10 years.
“The strong political will of governments in
the GCC, to tide over the water scarcity issue
and promote economic growth, will continue
to expand growth opportunities for water
and wastewater technology and solutions
providers,” noted Nilkanth. “For instance,
water has traditionally been heavily subsidised
in Arab countries. However, this is changing
with new and revised water tariffs and slabs
announced by Abu Dhabi, which is likely to
begin a trend of sustainable consumption in
the region.” • Membrane bio-reactors (MBR) systems
for wastewater reuse and recycling are on a
growth trajectory in both GCC and non-GCC
countries.
Such hikes in tariffs can spur research and
development and commercialisation of
smart metres and smart water grids. Rise in
electricity tariffs would mean that desalination
water plants will be under pressure to reduce
energy consumption by resorting to energy-
saving devices or shifting to energy-efficient
pumps. • Initiatives like Smart Dubai and DIES 2030
will have a profound impact on the
competitive landscape. New capabilities
in leveraging the collected data using
management tools and improving operational
efficiencies will require alliances with
software firms. Water companies in
the Middle East focus on rapid customer
acquisition, strategic alliances and
competitive strategy, leadership
in operations, reinventing product/
service propositions, and realigning core
competencies.
Overall, the Middle East water solutions market
is set for strong growth:
• GCC has nearly $42 billion worth of water
and wastewater projects in the study and
design phase in the next 10 years.
• Commercialisation of new concepts for
desalination, including forward osmosis,
membrane distillation, tri-hybrid applications
• Lowering the NRW losses will help curb the
deficit and create more accountability.
• Industry convergence and the Internet of
Things will bolster implementation of smart
systems. Real-time data from treatment
plants and networks, performance metrics,
and customer consumption patterns
will begin to dictate the operations and
investments of utilities.
Key players in the Middle East water solutions
market include Veolia, Dow Water and Process
Solutions, Abengoa, Almar Water, Xylem, Suez,
Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, and
Pentair Water.