Water technology company Xylem plans to invest US$35 million in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region which includes plans for a manufacturing plant in Dubai.
The Dubai manufacturing plant would “bring new jobs to the region and provide the market with locally engineered products and services”, the company said in a statement.
Xylem intends to use the facility to host a training & learning center providing training to engineers, contractors and installers in the proper design, installation and maintenance of water related technology solutions and applications.
Xylem moves to the new office in Dubai later this year, which will serve as the headquarters for its regional operations.
Vincent Chirouze, regional director, Xylem Middle East and North Africa, said: “The water-energy nexus is especially relevant throughout the MENA region. We view the low oil price environment as an opportunity to invest and expand in this market while many of our competitors are being cautious or even limiting their investments. As the Middle East works hard to address long-term water security in the region, we are positioning ourselves for long-term growth and success.”
Announced this week as part of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the company also signed a research collaboration with the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology to address energy and cost performance of processes and equipment for water, wastewater and water transport.
The key performance indicators (KPIs) will be established through a one-year study that aims to help policy-makers, regulators and those responsible for specifying and purchasing equipment and processes in the region to make informed decisions.
Xylem said the report will also help achieve targets set through development of a marginal abatement cost curve (MACC) for wastewater transport and treatment technologies. The MACC is an established method for identifying and ranking the most cost-effective areas for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions in a variety of industries. It can be a useful visual tool to compare potential projects and prioritize them based on their economics for reducing carbon emissions. ‘Marginal abatement’ in the MACC refers to the cost to reduce or offset one unit of pollution and optimal technology choices have a negative or zero marginal abatement cost.
Principal investigator (PI) for the project will be Dr. Shadi Wajih Hasan, assistant professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at Masdar Institute. Dr. Taha Ouarda, professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at Masdar Institute, who has expertise in environmental sampling and data analysis, will be the co-PI. A Master’s student will also be part of the team.
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