Environment & Energy | Sunday 11 January, 2015 12:41 am |

ACWA Power has confirmed its participation as a key principal sponsor of the 10th edition of the Saudi Water and Power Forum (SWPF), to be held in Riyadh on Monday, January 12th, 2015 at Al Faisaliah hotel. The forum is set to be a platform that gathers key stakeholders in the water and power sectors in the Kingdom, as well as sector pioneers and main players in other countries, enabling rich networking opportunities to exchange insights and expertise and discuss future plans, in addition to discussing the vision of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Water and Electricity for investments in related national projects.

In its 2015 edition, SWPF will highlight the achievements and success attained by Saudi Arabia in the water and power areas over the past 10 years, and set a road map for achieving sustainable development, while focusing on the biggest challenges faced by the vital sectors. ACWA Power will be represented by President & Chief Executive Officer Paddy Padmanathan Managing Director Thamer Al Sharhn, and Thomas Altmann, Vice President & Chief Technology, as they will be actively participating in panel discussions on the most urgent water and power topics.

During the event, Paddy Padmanathan will talk about water and power business from the private sector’s perspective in Saudi Arabia, while Thamer Al Sharhan will take part in discussions on facilities’ sustainability and a roadmap for governance and policies in various utility projects, in a manner that supports economic sustainability and social welfare. Meanwhile, Thomas Altmann will shed light upon renewable energy and strategies for building environment friendly facilities and the added value contributed by the kingdom.

“ACWA Power celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Through taking part for the fifth consecutive year at the Saudi Power and Water Forum, which plays a vital part in bringing forward the challenges and achievements of the industry, we also contribute to its development, together with our partners from the private and the public sector, in order to realize the Saudi government’s ambitious vision”, said Thamer Al Sharhan, Managing Director of ACWA Power.

“The increasing, rapid-paced demand on desalinated water and electricity in the Kingdom represents the biggest challenge faced by Saudi economy, whether in terms of power efficiency and fuel consumption on the local level, or in regards to diversifying power resources to include solar power, nuclear power and various other resources,” he added. “This is in addition to the important challenge of training and qualifying national staff to undertake maintenance, development and operation of the water and electricity facilities around the kingdom, where the Higher Institute for Water & Power Technologies in Rabigh helps by providing Saudi youth with quality preparation.”

ACWA Power is a leading Saudi developer, investor, co-owner and operator of a portfolio of plants with a capacity to generate 15.5 GW of power and produce 2.4 million m3/day of desalinated water in Saudi Arabia and countries of operation.