Marafiq meets Industrial Customers

Marafiq, the Power and Water Utility Company for Jubail and Yanbu, hosted its Second Industrial Customer Gathering at its Beach Camp in Jubail Industrial City on Monday, December 22. The get-together was attended by presidents, CEOs and other top executives of the industries in Jubail that are all customers of Marafiq.

The purpose of the gathering was to bring Marafiq’s customers up to date with the current status of its power and water products and services, and to outline its expansion plans to provide for the expected steep growth in power and water demand in Jubail in the next few years. It also gave its customers the opportunity to air their views and expectations and express any concerns they may have. The gathering provided a platform for open, transparent and objective interaction between Marafiq and its customers. The ensuing lively and productive discussions at the gathering demonstrated the participants’ firm intent to join hands in shaping the future of the industrial sector.

Marafiq’s first industrial customer gatherings in Jubail and Yanbu last year were hugely successful. The customers found themselves more involved in Marafiq, and on its part Marafiq understood more clearly the requirements and demand of its customers. The 2008 Customer Gathering started off against the backdrop of this success.

Addressing the gathering Thamer Al-Sharhan, Marafiq’s President and CEO, highlighted his company’s independent power and water plants (IWPPs) in Jubail and Yanbu. In Jubail, construction work is nearing completion for the 2,750 MW power plant and a desalination plant of 800,000 cubic meters per day. The Jubail IWPP of SR 12.8 billion will be the world’s largest combined-cycle power and water plant.

Al-Sharhan emphasized that massive capital expenditure of this nature called for highly accurate demand forecasts to ensure the best possible planning for least-cost delivery to Marafiq’s customers.

He pointed out that Marafiq was facing an increase in production cost and hoped that a balance could be established between utility tariffs, long term-sustainability and Marafiq’s ability to invest in new infrastructure that would enable it to meet customers demand.

The Jubail IWPP plant is scheduled to start production in a few months’ time. The Marafiq President said that the company was committed to providing long-term solutions for its customers. “Long-term solutions will eventually ensure mutual growth and development,” he said, adding that “customer satisfaction was the real indicator of Marafiq’s growth.”

Several top executives of the industries in Jubail aired their views on the utility sector in the Kingdom and the pivotal role it played in the overall development of the country.

They also commended Marafiq’s initiative and said gatherings of this kind promoted two-way communication which would contribute to overall growth.

Marafiq operates power generation, transmission and distribution systems, process and potable water systems, seawater cooling systems and industrial and sanitary wastewater treatment systems for industrial, commercial and residential customers in Yanbu and Jubail industrial cities.