On 4 October 2026, UK-based wastewater treatment specialist Bluewater Bio was awarded a contract to upgrade and expand the MODON Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant (IWWTP) at Jeddah 1st Industrial City, lifting treatment capacity by 60 per cent while keeping the facility running for tenants on site Technical Review Middle East. The contract sits inside a 20-year Rehabilitate-Operate-Transfer (ROT) concession granted by the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON) to Miahona, with SUECO as EPC contractor and Bluewater Bio supplying the core biological and tertiary treatment package IndexBox.
Key takeaways
- Bluewater Bio was awarded the technology package to upgrade the MODON IWWTP at Jeddah 1st Industrial City Technical Review Middle East.
- The upgrade lifts plant capacity by 60 per cent, from 25 MLD to 40 MLD IndexBox.
- The site serves more than 1,100 factories in one of Saudi Arabia's largest industrial zones IndexBox.
- Six FilterClear tertiary filtration systems will produce 24 MLD of RO feedwater Technical Review Middle East.
- The project is scheduled for completion in Q3 2027 IndexBox.
What happened
MODON is the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones, and the plant in question serves Jeddah 1st Industrial City, a manufacturing hub housing more than 1,100 factories across multiple sectors Technical Review Middle East. Continued industrial expansion pushed daily wastewater flows and contaminant loadings past the plant's original design limits, the source reports, making modernisation essential for operational reliability, environmental compliance and high-quality reclaimed water for local industry Technical Review Middle East.
The 20-year ROT concession was awarded by MODON to water management firm Miahona; SUECO has been appointed as engineering, procurement and construction contractor, with Bluewater Bio delivering the core biological and tertiary treatment technologies Technical Review Middle East. To deliver the required capacity uplift without extensive site redevelopment, Bluewater Bio will deploy its proprietary modular treatment systems, expanding processing capacity from 25 MLD to 40 MLD and supplying polished effluent suitable for reverse osmosis intake Technical Review Middle East.
Fergus Rooksby, Commercial Director of Bluewater Bio, said: "HYBACS was selected because it delivers a significant increase in biological treatment capacity without the need for major new civil structures. Combined with FilterClear for RO feedwater production, it provides a cost-effective, low-footprint solution that is straightforward to operate and minimises ongoing service and maintenance costs" Technical Review Middle East. Rooksby added that the ability to add further modules in the future gives Miahona a flexible route to increase RO-treated water reuse, framing the scheme as a "highly compelling and future-ready solution" Technical Review Middle East.
Daniyar Seipoldin, General Director of SUECO, said the EPC contractor is committed to "modern technological solutions that respond to the evolving needs of the industry — including energy efficiency, sustainable operation, effective use of existing infrastructure, and minimizing the need for additional civil construction," and described a strong strategic alignment between SUECO and Bluewater Bio Technical Review Middle East. Richard Haddon, CEO of Bluewater Bio, said the award "reflects the strength of our technology offering in addressing complex industrial wastewater challenges," and that the MODON facility is "a highly demanding treatment environment" Technical Review Middle East.
The plant is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2027, which both sources link to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 targets for sustainable water stewardship and industrial resource recycling Technical Review Middle East. For Bluewater Bio, the contract builds on a Middle Eastern portfolio that already includes installations in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain IndexBox.
Specification read
The reported 25 MLD pre-upgrade and 40 MLD post-upgrade flows convert to roughly 25,000 m³/day and 40,000 m³/day, and the 24 MLD of FilterClear tertiary filtrate to about 24,000 m³/day. The source does not report influent BOD or COD concentrations, industrial mix, or required effluent limits, so a population-equivalent figure cannot be derived from the supplied text. The technology package is clear from the reporting: HYBACS drives the biological stage via fourteen SMART units, FilterClear handles tertiary filtration for an integrated downstream reverse osmosis plant, and the modular approach is specifically aimed at avoiding new civil structures and avoiding downtime for tenants Technical Review Middle East. Engineering interpretation: a retrofitted capacity uplift in this flow range, run live, points to a high-rate biological reactor (HYBACS) followed by filtration and RO rather than a full activated-sludge rebuild, which is consistent with the contractor's stated aim of keeping existing civil works in service. For plant managers weighing similar scope, the relevant read-across is the MBR-class and selection-guide framing used for industrial retrofits of this scale, captured in the Mbr Membrane Systems hub and the Industrial Wastewater Treatment Equipment Selection: Matching the Right System to Your Industry guide.
For a buyer scoping a comparable upgrade, the recognition sentence is: if your plant is treating in the 20,000–40,000 m³/day range from a mixed industrial estate, is being asked to add reverse osmosis-grade reuse on a fixed concession timetable, and must stay live through the works, the Jeddah spec is a working template for what a modular biological-plus-tertiary retrofit looks like, and the Best Technologies for COD & BOD Removal in Industrial Wastewater (2026 Buyer Guide) article is the natural next read. The wider Municipal product hub and the Effluent Treatment Plant in Yanbu: 2026 Engineering & Buyer's Guide piece sit alongside it for context on Saudi industrial effluent projects.
FAQ
What is being upgraded at the MODON plant in Jeddah?
Bluewater Bio is supplying the core biological and tertiary treatment technologies to lift capacity 60 per cent, from 25 MLD to 40 MLD, while the plant stays operational Technical Review Middle East.
Who is the EPC contractor and who operates the plant?
SUECO is the EPC contractor; Miahona holds the 20-year Rehabilitate-Operate-Transfer concession awarded by MODON IndexBox.
When is the upgrade due to be completed?
Both sources report a completion target in the third quarter of 2027 IndexBox.
How is reuse built into the design?
Six FilterClear tertiary filtration systems will produce 24 MLD of RO feedwater, and the modular approach allows additional units to be added later to increase RO-treated water reuse Technical Review Middle East.
