Societe Nationale d’Exploitation et de Distribution des Eaux (SONEDE) in Tunisia has selected the Metito consortium to develop a seawater desalination plant in Sfax.

The winning consortium comprises Metito, Orascom, and Cobra. The desalination plant will have the capacity to produce 100,000 cubic meters of drinking water per day, with the possibility of doubling it to 200,000 cubic meters later. The plant will operate using reverse osmosis (RO) system as well as implement environmentally friendly seawater pumping and wastewater discharging mechanisms.

The project is being financed by the Japanese International Cooperation Organisation (JICA). Metito will be in charge of the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of the project for a period of 30 months. The consortium will take charge of operation and maintenance for two years after the construction is completed. The project is expected to begin operations in February 2024.