Veolia to build $500M wastewater reuse plant for SATORP in Jubail, advancing Saudi Vision 2030 with innovative circular water technologies.
Veolia has announced the signing of a landmark agreement with SATORP, a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and TotalEnergies Refining and Petrochemical Company, alongside consortium partners Marafiq and Lamar. The deal marks the launch of the largest industrial water recycling project in the Middle East, to be established in Jubail Industrial City 鈥� the region鈥檚 leading petrochemical hub.
The project represents a total investment of $500 million and focuses on building a cutting-edge facility for treating and reusing complex industrial effluents. Veolia, together with Orascom, will oversee the construction of the facility, with civil works assigned to Orascom. Once operational, the plant will run under a 30-year operation and maintenance (O&M) contract beginning in 2028. This long-term engagement highlights the project鈥檚 strategic importance in securing sustainable water solutions for the region.
The new facility will integrate Veolia鈥檚 best-in-class technologies, including AnoxKaldnes? Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR), ZeeWeed? ultrafiltration membranes, and Actiflo? Carb. It will also pioneer an advanced process for spent caustic treatment 鈥� a notoriously challenging industrial effluent stream. These technologies will enable high levels of resource recovery, reduce environmental footprint, and significantly contribute to circular water use across the industrial ecosystem.
The reuse of industrial wastewater is becoming an urgent necessity in the Middle East. Freshwater resources remain scarce, while industrial and population demand is steadily increasing under extreme climatic conditions. By converting complex effluents into reusable water, the project will not only reduce environmental pollution but also conserve vital natural resources, minimize capital outlays, and lower operating costs for industries. Ultimately, this will support sustainable economic growth and build resilience against chronic water shortages in the Kingdom.
When completed, the facility will deliver an annual treatment capacity of nearly 8.8 million cubic meters, making it the largest plant of its kind in the Middle East. While its primary purpose is to serve SATORP, the plant is designed with future scalability in mind, opening opportunities to extend advanced water treatment solutions to other industrial players in the region. This positions Jubail as a center of excellence for industrial wastewater management.
As a pioneer in water technologies and circular economy solutions, Veolia will lead the operations of the Jubail reuse facility, leveraging its expertise across the entire industrial wastewater treatment chain. By transforming local wastewater into a new, valuable resource, the company will create closed-loop water systems for industrial use.
Estelle Brachlianoff, CEO of Veolia, emphasized the strategic impact of this project: 鈥淏y innovating and advancing large-scale water recycling from complex industrial effluents in Jubail, Veolia reaffirms its commitment to Saudi Arabia鈥檚 Vision 2030. This project showcases our role as a global technology provider, process designer, investor, and operator, and reflects the essence of our GreenUp program in advancing water technologies.鈥�
With this ambitious undertaking, Veolia is not only reinforcing its leadership in industrial water management but also enabling the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to advance its vision for a circular economy and sustainable growth.
