Qatar General Electricity & water Corporation "KAHRAMAA" has signed with Qatar Electricity & Water Company (QEWC) at KAHRAMAA building a new agreement to purchase 45 Million Imperial Gallon per Day (MIGD) of desalinated water for 25 years through Ras Abu Fantas A-1 Station extension project, which should be completed by end of 2009.

Engineer Ahmed Al Abdullah, Technical Affairs Director as Acting Vice Chairman has signed the contract representing for Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation along with Engineer Fahad Hamad Al Mohannadi for Qatar Electricity & Water Company (QEWC) General Manager.

On such occasion Eng. Ahmed Al Abdulla KAHRAMAA Technical Affairs Director said; " that the contract will provide 45 MIGD of desalinated water from Ras Abou Fontas Station A-1 for 25 years".

He confirmed that it is scheduled to avail the first water quantity will enter into KAHRAMAA network in April 2009 and the complete water capacity of 45 MIGD is planned to enter into water network by summer 2009.

KAHRAMAA Technical Affairs Director stated; that the project also includes installation of 3 distillers operated by reverse Osmes multi stages evaporation, which Qatar Electricity & Water Company contracted with Fisia Company, Italy against a cost of 454 million dollar.

Eng. Ahmed Al Abdulla said that the contracts signing comes within a comprehensive plan adopted by KAHRAMAA to cope with the huge architectural and economic development witnessed in the country and to respond to the expected customers needs, too.

Eng. Al Abdullah added that, the contract is characterized as a fast track project to expand the capacity of Ras Abu Fantas station A-1. As such, the infrastructure is available which might reduce desalination cost with availability of fuel  and operations cost.

He considered that the site facility is selected due to its strategic location  which facilitates the fast track execution of the expansion project and its cost effectiveness which lead to save 10% of the estimated cost to similar project compared with similar previous contract.

At the end, Eng. Ahmed Al-Abdulla, Director of Technical Affairs expressed his appreciation to Qatar Electricity & Water Company (QEWC) and  considered this new agreement with QEWC as one of the leading projects.

It is worth mentioning, that corresponding additional works to evacuate water deliveries into KAHRAMAA's existing water network system will be required. The new water supply will meet Qatar's fast growing water demand in the domestic, industrial and commercial sectors in Mesaieed, Doha and other parts of the country. Water demand grew by more than 15% in 2006 and in the first quarter 2007 and the trend is expected to continue.