The City of Oran suffers chronic water shortages. Based on a review of existing supplies, desalinated seawater from the Mediterranean Sea is the only sufficient source of water for the city's 2 million inhabitants.
Black & Veatch and the Government of Algeria are developing an independent water and power production (IWPP) plant under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) contract structure. The project company, Kahrama Spa, is an 80:20 joint venture between Black & Veatch and the government owned Algerian Energy Company (AEC). The project will produce 88,888 m3/day (23.5 mgd) of desalinated water using multi-stage flash (MSF) process and 343 MW of power using gas turbines.

Desalination Process Component

The MSF system was designed to operate within the following parameters:

• Pretreatment: Seawater intake, no pretreatment, coarse bar screen and traveling band screen for debris and marine life removal; hypochlorite injection for control of marine growth. Seawater 38,700 TDS.
• Capacity and Train Arrangement: Three Hitachi-Zosen MSF trains, 17 stages, brine recirculation, horizontal single deck, cross tube, 110°C (230°F) top brine temperature, giving total output of 88,888 m3/day (23.5 mgd) or 3 x 29,629 m3/day (7.8 mgd).
• Energy Use: Steam supplied from single pressure heat recovery generators taking exhaust heat from 3 x GE Frame 9E gas turbines running on natural gas fuel, each HRSG producing 206 ton/h steam at 14 bar (203 psi) and 195°C (383°F).
• Percent Recovery: Performance Ratio of 6.22 kg/2326kj.
• Brine Disposal: Sea through a 2.2 m (7.2 ft) diameter 350 m (0.22 mile) long outfall.

Other Key Project Issues

Overall Black & Veatch responsibilities include providing technical support for project development, economic review, financial structuring, management of legal and insurance services, environmental compliance, EPC tender document preparation, EPC contractor selection and award, O&M contractor selection and award, technical support for contract negotiations for off-take agreements, land lease, and permits.

Black and Veatch will also provide supervision during the construction phase.

 

Black & Veatch Role

• Project developer
• Conceptual design
• Project management services

Significant Aspects

• EPC bidder evaluation
• Tendering assistance
• Technology reviews
• Economic reviews
• Conceptual designs

Source Water

• Seawater

Technologies

• Multi-stage flash

Owner

• Kahrama, Spa

Location

• Arzew, Algeria

Period of Services

• 2001 - 2005