Water Reservoirs Receive Protection in Saudi Arabia
Industrial and Environmental Concepts, Inc. won an international competition for an agricultural project in Saudi Arabia. Sinopec awarded IEC a contract to design and install covers for multiple water reservoirs in the arid region.
The Saudi Kingdom and Sinopec, the world's largest oil refining company, have awarded Industrial and Environmental Concepts, Inc. of Lakeville, Minn., a contract in the Al Khobar region of Saudi Arabia. The project is managed by the Saudi government and its agency, Hassa Irrigation and Drainage. The government recognizes the importance of water and is employing leading organizations in the water industry to assist in the development and preservation of their country's resources.
Industrial and Environmental Concepts has designed an innovative Evaporation Mitigation Cover System that not only reduces evaporation, but also traps rainwater and keeps wind-blown debris from entering water reservoirs. The water conserved by IEC's system will be piped approximately 165 miles to an agricultural area, where it will be used to grow crops. Approximately one-third of the cover materials have been shipped from Minnesota, with estimated completion scheduled for March 2015.
The continued exchange of products and management practices between the Saudi Government and the United States is an example of countries using their best resources to improve overall economic and environmental conditions of both participating countries. Assistance from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), the Export-Import Bank of the United States, and the U.S. Commercial Service and their Saudi offices were essential to making this project possible. The U.S. Commercial Service is the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration.