5 Capitals has provided specialist environmental services to ACWA Power and the Project Company (RABEC) over a 4-year period, since SEC issued the RFP in March 2008.
The services commenced with pre-bid support detailing legislation and standards including Equator Principles requirements, World Bank/IFC EHS and IFC sector-specific standards. These were detailed in a Checklist for the EPC/ACWA Power Consortium.
The scoping and design review incorporated air and marine modelling to assist in refining the design by optimising stack heights and assessing pollution abatement scenarios. The marine intake/outfall design and oil-unloading jetty were assessed in a site-specific 3-D marine model to confirm compliance with national and international standards and to identify opportunities to increase the competitiveness of the ACWA Power bid.
ACWA Power was awarded the project in December 2008 and thereafter it was a fast track programme to complete the Social and Environmental Assessment Report leading to Financial Close.
5 Capitals participated in the ACWA Power Risk Management Workshop in January 2009 and identified a sub-optimal / unnecessary stage in the proposed pollution abatement for (NOx) (based on a degraded airshed). This led to significant project savings with greater focus on the key issues such as flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) to reduce sulphur emissions, ESP to reduce particulates and the use of low NOx burners for control of nitrogen emissions.
5 Capitals has provided independent sites audits (quarterly) and marine surveys (annually) during the 3-year construction period and these reports have provided assurance to the lenders and also to PME. During plant commissioning, 5 Capitals provided technical advice and documentation on wastewater testing procedures and also noise performance testing.