CODECO® Multi-Hybrid Desalination and Crystallization Plant at SWCC Rabigh in Saudi Arabia

At SWCC Rabigh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, NET Group of Companies implemented its solar-energy-based CODECO® Multi-Hybrid Desalination and ZLD technology at full industrial scale, producing both desalinated water and crystallized salt directly from seawater.

The technology operates at low brine temperatures (12–45 °C), enabling the use of cost-efficient construction materials and significantly reducing operational complexity. As a result, the system achieves approximately 30% lower CAPEX compared to conventional MED technology, while operating without chemical pretreatment.

Designed performance parameters:

• Distillate production capacity: 5,200 m³/day
• Salt production: 0.75 ton/day
• Recovery ratio: > 60%
• Top brine temperature: 45 °C
• Lower brine temperature: 12 °C

By integrating desalination and crystallization within a single optimized thermal process, the CODECO® plant ensures Zero Liquid Discharge operation, maximizing resource recovery and eliminating liquid brine disposal.

The key outcome of the project is the achievement of the lowest CAPEX and OPEX for thermally driven distilled water and salt production, positioning CODECO® as one of the most economically optimized thermal desalination solutions available for large-scale seawater applications.