RAS TANURA REFINERY INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PROJECT

Designed for Saudi Aramco’s Ras Tanura Refinery (RTR), this project constructs a comprehensive industrial wastewater treatment plant that integrates advanced processing, specialized purification, and product water transportation. It directly addresses the limitations of the refinery’s original wastewater pretreatment system, which struggles to tackle complex wastewater and support water reuse.

The project boasts a 20,000 m3/day industrial wastewater treatment system and a 1.14 m3/h wet air oxidation (WAO) spent caustic treatment system for segregated purification. The raw wastewater is transported to the treatment plant via an approximately 7.5 km dedicated pipeline. Following purification, the treated water is separated into two streams: compliant wastewater is discharged in accordance with environmental regulations, while reclaimed water is piped back to RTR through a dedicated return line. This approach alleviates the pollution associated with external discharge and drives sustainable water circulation within the refinery.

The project adopts a graded treatment strategy based on the specific characteristics of different pollutants: the primary wastewater undergoes oil and grease removal, cooling, biological treatment, multi-media filtration, and reverse osmosis (RO) to elevate the quality of product water. The overall layout is logically arranged in the sequence of “pretreatment–cooling–biological treatment–filtration–water production,” creating a safe, efficient, and easily maintainable industrial space.

Taking into account Saudi Arabia’s regional features, the facade employs a low-saturation beige to seamlessly blend into the surrounding desert landscape, minimizing the visual intrusion of the large-scale industrial facility. For the interior, a milky white fosters a clean, bright working atmosphere. Simultaneously, distinct functional zones are clearly defined through a deliberate play of materials—including metal panels, concrete frameworks, and ventilation grilles—presenting a crisp, stable, and harmonious modern industrial aesthetic.

All metals used in the project are fully recyclable, complemented by odor control and stormwater-wastewater separation measures, minimizing resource consumption and environmental impact—transforming traditional end-of-pipe wastewater treatment into forward-looking, high-value industrial water reclamation.