This latest multi-million-pound project represents another significant contract win for Kiverco in the Middle East following a major contract win in the UAE for a £3 million waste recycling plant earlier this year.
The Red Sea Project is the world’s most ambitious regenerative tourism initiative which is being developed on the Kingdom’s Red Sea coast by The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC). The project is one of several large-scale investment giga-projects approved and overseen by Saudi’s Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman as part of his ambitious Vision 2030 which among its many goals, aims to increase tourism in Saudi Arabia and reduce the Kingdom’s dependence on oil.
The Red Sea Project has already passed significant milestones and work is on track to welcome the first guests by the end of 2022 when the international airport and the first four hotels will open. The remaining 12 hotels scheduled for completion in Phase One will open in 2023, delivering a total of 3,000 rooms across five islands and two inland resorts.
Chad Woodward, Director of Trade and Investment at the British Embassy in Saudi Arabia, said:
“The Red Sea Project is a very prestigious development in the Kingdom and I am very pleased to learn of Kiverco’s involvement in the project. The fact that Kiverco was chosen by Averda to deliver a solution to process the waste generated by this project highlights the excellent reputation British manufacturing has in the region.”
He added: “Kiverco has started to expand in this region and I am confident that they will continue to win new business as a result of this flagship project.”
The Red Sea Project will employ some 35,000 people directly and provide another 35,000 indirect and induced roles. The destination will welcome a maximum of 1 million visitors each year by 2030, generating an estimated SAR22 billion ($US 5.9 billion) in income for Saudi Arabia.
Environmental as well as economic benefits
As well as the huge economic benefits to Saudi Arabia, The Red Sea Project will also deliver on Saudi Arabia’s environmental targets. The project has committed to going beyond traditional commitments to sustainability and instead is following a regenerative approach to tourism for the development, including during its construction phase. Upon completion, the project pledges include ‘no waste to landfill’, ‘no use of single-use plastics’, and ‘100% carbon neutrality’.
While incorporating world-class partner component technologies, some 85 percent of the Averda plant was manufactured at Kiverco’s head-quarters and factory in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
Congratulating the company, Steve Harper, Invest NI’s Executive Director of International Business said:
“Invest NI has worked with Kiverco for many years. Our in-market teams in both UAE and across Europe are assisting the company to grow internationally, with a multi-million-pound contract in UAE announced by Kiverco just last year and a further distribution agreement in Poland with our support. This new contract is a testament to Kiverco’s growing reputation globally and its efforts in continuing to build on business relationships, particularly in the UAE. Invest NI will continue to support Kiverco to strengthen its international portfolio and capitalize on current business opportunities in this very lucrative market.”
The recycling solutions designed and delivered by Kiverco will recover concrete, fines (sand/soil), wood, ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals, cables, plastic bottles (HDPE & PET), plastic film, and cardboard. The plant is designed to process in excess of 150,000 tonnes per annum of construction waste at Averda’s newly developed waste processing facility site at the project site on the Red Sea coast. The recovered materials will be recycled into new products as well as providing RDF fuel to generate electricity at a nearby Waste to Energy plant.
Kiverco was chosen by Averda, a leading waste management business in the region, for this project based largely on the Company’s reputation for providing high quality, high performing recycling plants across the globe. Mazen Rifai, Technical Director at Averda, highlighted the importance of choosing the right partner to process the waste generated from the construction effort:
“This is a hugely important project for Averda and for Saudi Arabia. It was critical for us to choose the right partner to provide a waste recycling plant as we must meet stringent targets on throughput and recovery rates. Kiverco is very well known for their design and build quality and have a long history dealing with this type of waste. I am very confident we have chosen a partner who will work closely with us to deliver this project and facility for Averda and The Red Sea Development Company.”
The project win for Kiverco was spearheaded by Gabriel O’Keefe who is the Export Manager for the Middle East region. Following a number of visits to Saudia Arabia in 2019 and a visit to Kiverco’s headquarters outside Dungannon earlier this year, the contract was agreed and signed via video-link with Averda during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. O’Keefe concludes:
“We are delighted to be selected by Averda to design, manufacture, and install this recycling solution and honored to be associated with The Red Sea Development Project. This will be a world-class tourist destination and we look forward to working with Averda for many years to come. The ambition and vision for this project is a testament to the foresight of Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman.”
Kiverco recycling solutions are utilized across the world in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Australasia with more than 300 installations in the UK alone.
