NEOM will meet all its water needs through desalination using revolutionary and sustainable technology, which is fully powered by renewable energy. High value chemicals and minerals for use in industry will be extracted from the brine left behind by the desalination process and, in order to protect the marine ecosystem, we are committed to a Fully Integrated Resource recovery Seawater Treatment (FIRRST) – a world first at this scale. 100% of wastewater will be recycled and used for irrigation. We are determined to recover all resources from wastewater and biosolids and harvest cellulose, nutrients, grit and biogas. These will be used for landscaping, agriculture, construction and offset energy needs.
NEOM will innovate desalination processes through revolutionary, sustainable and renewable technology. A vast facility integrated with brine processing, the seawater desalination plant is at the core of this transformation. Based on new high recovery reverse osmosis membrane technology, it aims to supply the entire NEOM region. These innovations will allow for a >60% recovery, and within 10 years, will process up to 1,000,000 m3 of water a day.
Brine processing is at the heart of NEOM’s circular water economy, transforming the by-product of seawater desalination into high value-chemicals, minerals and metals for industrial and agricultural use. We will build and operate a cutting-edge brine harvesting and processing plant integrated with the desalination facility. At the same time, we’ll create a research and development hub that will explore new technologies and products for the industry.
Potable water reservoirs, able to satisfy up to five days of demand, will be built across NEOM’s smart water network. Most of these reservoirs will be significant concrete structures with a storage capacity of over 100,000 m3 to supply safe, high-quality drinking water on-demand.
From coast to desert, all of NEOM’s regions will be supplied with water through a 600km network of carbon steel pipes, valves, equipment, utility, and pipeline culverts. Up to 20 pumping stations will be commissioned and delivered by the end of 2024, and six major water reservoirs will be built over the next four years, aiming for a total storage capacity of 6,000,000 m3.
All wastewater will be collected, treated and reused: that’s NEOM’s sustainable and innovative management strategy. To achieve this goal, about 250,000 m3 of water per day will be treated in energy-efficient and self-sustained Water Recycling and Recovery Plants. 100% network collection will be achieved with 2500 km of smart Sewage Collection Networks with a similar coverage of smart Recycled Water Networks.
Recycling, reusing and recovering resources are the pillars of NEOM’s circular water management. Nutrient-rich biosolids, the by-product of wastewater treatment, will be recuperated with best practices for agricultural and energy uses, such as harvesting high-quality fertilizers, capturing biogas and converting it to electrical power.