Environmental and social impact assessment studies in Saudi Arabia

The Situation

Our office in Saudi Arabia has a long and promising track of providing and delivering engineering and consultancy services to several sectors in the Saudi Arabian market. This track was manifested in awarding Advisian an environmental consultancy services contract with the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC). 

Approach 

Advisian environmental experts prepared Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies for several SEC projected power plant projects across the Kingdom, including steam power plants, supercritical power plants and simple and combined cycle power plants.  Activities included: 

• Reviewing the existing regional and site-specific environmental and social baseline status and conditions, define additional parameters to be investigated 
• Identifying environmental requirements of relevant authorities, SEC specifications and commitments, and relevant international conventions and agreements 
• Analysing sensitive components of the existing environment lying in the impact zones of each power plant, terrestrial and marine, and identifying the environmentally sensitive receptors 
• Assessing pre-project environmental setting and exact conditions (environmental baseline assessment) via a series of comprehensive field surveys and measurements. including air quality, noise levels, groundwater quality, marine and terrestrial ecology (fauna and flora), sea water quality and sediment quality 
• Performing numerical modelling including air dispersion modelling, noise mapping and modelling and thermal dispersion modelling 
• Determining the type, nature and importance of the probable environmental impacts arising from each specific project during power plant construction and operation 
• Identifying and recommending practical, up-to-date and cost-effective mitigation measures in an early phase of the project cycle (concept design) to eliminate, minimise, mitigate or avoid environmental impacts 
• Recommending and developing a framework for a comprehensive environmental management system including an environmental monitoring plan throughout execution phases 
• Ensuring all stakeholders were fully considered and engaged in the environmental impact assessment process 

Results

Through its various studies across all plant locations, Advisian was able to support the client to enable a fast track project delivery. Our team provided fit-for-purpose solutions and by using the latest versions of relevant software and applications for modelling, we provided the client with highly accurate estimates and quantifications of the anticipated impacts from the power plants projects.