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A consortium composed of Orascom Construction Industries (OCIC), Veolia and Aqualia has won the Abu Rawash wastewater treatment plant PPP project in Egypt.

The team beat out competition from Kuwait's Al Kharafi. Two other shortlisted teams did not bid for the project: a consortium composed of UAE-headquartered Metito Overseas Limited, subsidiary of Gulf Capital, PWT and HOCHTIEF; and Degremont.

The project involves the development of a secondary treatment stage as well as raising the capacity of the existing primary treatment plant from 1.2 million m³/day to 1.6 million m³/day. 

The preferred bidder, which will enter into a  build, operation and transfer (BOT) contract, will be responsible for the design, build, finance, operation and maintenance of the Abu Rawash wastewater treatment plant for a period of 20 years.

The total project investment is estimated at EGP5 billion (US$636.3 million). According to sources, the European Bank for Reconstruction a Development (EBRD), the World Bank and local banks are set to provide financing for the project.

The project is planned to be operational two years after construction begins. It is expected that the new facilitites will serve a population of 5.5 million inhabitants.

In early 2015, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi announced that his government has plans to develop mechanisms to increase cooperation between the public and private sectors in order to deliver major infrastructure projects. Al-Sisi also mentioned that the government is working on reforming the laws that organise the public and private sectors, anti-corruptions laws and the pension system.

Throughout this month of August we have reported on several water & waste PPP projects globally:

• Cabreúva urban cleaning and solid waste concession contract - Brazil
• Belgrade waste PPP project - Serbia
• Long-term lease of Nassau County wastewater assets - USA
• Thames tideway tunnel (TTT) project - UK
• Indianapolis airport stormwater and wastewater PPP project - USA
• Paulista municipality waste PPP project (Pernambuco) -  Brazil
• New Centennial Water Source Project - Philippines