Jeddah industrial wastewater plant secures 60% capacity upgrade

Industrial wastewater management across the Middle East is increasingly shifting towards circularity, with Saudi Arabia strengthening its water infrastructure through a major expansion at the MODON Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant (IWWTP) at Jeddah 1st Industrial City.

UK-based wastewater treatment specialist Bluewater Bio has secured a contract to upgrade and expand the facility, increasing its treatment capacity by 60% while allowing continuous operations for local manufacturers.

The project forms part of a 20-year Rehabilitate-Operate-Transfer (ROT) concession awarded by the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON) to water management company Miahona. Engineering, procurement and construction contractor SUECO will deliver the works, with Bluewater Bio providing the core biological and tertiary treatment technologies.

Jeddah 1st Industrial City is one of Saudi Arabia’s key manufacturing hubs, hosting more than 1,100 factories across multiple sectors. Industrial growth has increased wastewater flows and contaminant loads beyond the plant’s original design capacity, creating a need for upgraded infrastructure to maintain operational reliability, environmental compliance and access to high-quality reclaimed water.

The upgrade will increase the facility’s processing capacity from 25 million litres per day (MLD) to 40 MLD and produce treated effluent suitable for reverse osmosis (RO) intake. Bluewater Bio will deploy 14 SMART™ units incorporating its HYBACS® biological treatment process, alongside six FilterClear® tertiary filtration systems capable of producing 24 MLD of treated water.

The upgraded system will also integrate with a downstream RO plant to support high-grade industrial water reuse. Importantly, the works will be carried out while the existing facility remains operational, avoiding disruption to manufacturers at the industrial city.

Fergus Rooksby, Commercial Director of Bluewater Bio, said HYBACS was selected because it can significantly increase biological treatment capacity without requiring major new civil structures. Combined with FilterClear technology, the solution is designed to provide RO feedwater while reducing footprint, operational complexity and maintenance requirements. The modular design also allows additional capacity to be added in the future.

SUECO General Director Daniyar Seipoldin said the company’s approach focuses on modern technologies that support energy efficiency, sustainable operations and greater use of existing infrastructure while reducing the need for additional civil construction.

The project is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2027 and supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives around sustainable water management and industrial resource recycling. For Bluewater Bio, the contract further expands its presence in the Middle East, following projects in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Bluewater Bio CEO Richard Haddon said the award demonstrates the company’s ability to address complex industrial wastewater treatment requirements and reinforces its position in the region’s water and wastewater treatment sector.