Odour Control Process for Prestigious King Abdullah University in Saudi Arabia

ACWA AIR (UK) has recently completed the design and construction of a large Odour Control Plant for a new Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) at the new King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). This internationally significant and prestigious project is currently under construction along the Red Sea coast of Rabigh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

KAUST is to be established as a research-based university, dedicated to inspiring a new age of scientific achievement. As an independent merit based institution, the university will employ many of the best practices from leading researchers around the world, working together to solve challenging scientific and technological issues of the day. Concentrating on environmental research the site will incorporate a number of innovative facilities, including a covered reef ecosystem, preserved as a marine sanctuary.

The new ACWA AIR Odour Control System is designed to remove and treat up to 30,000m3/hour of foul air extracted from a new Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP) supplied by ACWA Emirates LLC.

In operation, the foul smelling air, containing H2S, Mercaptans, VOC and Dimethyl Sulphide, is extracted through ducting from various locations throughout the WWTP - using induced draft fans, to maintain negative pressure in the system. The ductwork directs foul air into a highly efficient ACWA AIR biotechnological odour control process without leakages. The foul smelling gases are passed through a large Bio-scrubber and Active Carbon Filters, achieving more than 99.9% odour removal, before being discharged to atmosphere through a high level stack.

Due to logistical expediency, the Active Carbon Filters were produced by a local fabricator in Dammam, KSA and the bio-scrubber fabricated in the UAE. All Project Management Services for the contract were provided by ACWA AIR from its head office in Skipton, UK, where subcontractors from the UK, USA, KSA and UAE were strictly assessed and qualified through the company’s strict quality assurance procedures.