November’s top stories: ADB funds Chinese project, Utico to build desalination plant

ADB funds Chinese wastewater reuse project

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has provided a $240m private sector loan package to Beijing Enterprises Water Group (BEWG) to improve the quality of wastewater management and reuse in China.

The loan will be used to upgrade wastewater treatment plants to treat an additional 600 million tonnes of wastewater annually, by 2019.

The Bank’s $240m private sector loan package consists of a direct loan of $120m for BEWG and a complementary loan of $120m, funded by commercial banks.

Utico to build world’s largest solar-powered seawater desalination plant in UAE

Utico Middle East is planning to construct what is believed to be the world’s largest solar-powered seawater desalination plant in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE.
After completion, the desalination plant is expected to generate 22 million gallons of water a day and 20MW of solar power.

Utico released a pre-qualification tender inviting bids for the independent water project (IWP) earlier in November.

GE evaporation technologies selected for MacKay River Commercial Project

Brion Energy has selected GE’s produced water evaporation technologies for phase I of the MacKay River Commercial Project (MRCP) near Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada.

The project, which will recycle 99% of produced water by using GE evaporation technology, will utilise a steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) technique to responsibly produce bitumen, a type of heavy oil.

The MRCP, which has a design capacity of 150,000 barrels per day (bpd), will have four phases with phase I, contributing the first 35,000bpd.

Yara acquires crop water sensor firm ZIM Plant Technology

Norway based chemical company Yara has acquired German water sensor company ZIM Plant Technology to improve its agricultural water use efficiency.

ZIM Plant Technology’s product allows for reduced water consumption, increased yields and improved crop quality. The water precision tool will be integrated with Yara’s knowledge about the precise application of water-soluble and liquid fertiliser.

The availability of freshwater is expected to become a major global challenge in the future. Agriculture currently uses around 70% of freshwater withdrawals, and if water use efficiency is not improved, by 2030 this sector alone will require more water than is sustainably available.

Acciona to expand Africa’s largest wastewater treatment plant

Acciona Agua has won a contract from The Construction Authority for Drinking Water and Wastewater (CAPW) in Egypt for the approximately €120m expansion of the Gabal Al Asfar wastewater treatment plant, situated on the outskirts of Cairo.

The project includes the design, construction and commissioning of the wastewater treatment plant, which is expected to around three years. The company will then operate and maintain the plant for two years, alongside German company Passavant-Roediger and the Egyptian company Hassan Allam Construction, who were jointly awarded the contract.

When completed, the plant will have a treatment capacity of 500,000m³ per day, making it the largest wastewater treatment plant in Africa.

Siemens introduces new industrial water and wastewater treatment solution

Siemens Water Technologies has introduced the CoMag System, a solution which will allow municipalities to increase the performance of water and wastewater treatment plants with a reduced footprint.

The solution uses magnetite to ballast conventional chemical floc for enhanced settling rates. It can reduce total suspended solids (TSS), total phosphorus (TP), turbidity, colour, pathogens and metals far below conventional treatment, for recycle-reuse, reverse osmosis pretreatment and other uses.

The CoMag System will also reduce capital and life-cycle costs. By using the new system, designers and plant operators with space constraints can increase treatment capacity and limit the footprint of their proposed facilities.

Abengoa to develop RO desalination plant for Angamos facility in Chile

Spain-based technology solutions provider Abengoa has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chilean energy company AES Gener to develop a new reverse osmosis desalination plant for the Angamos power plant in the north of the country.

The plant will provide 19,200m³ of water a day. Abengoa is responsible for engineering, construction and subsequent operation of the project, valued at $26m.

Abengoa employs over 1,400 people in Chile, and has had a presence in the country for over 27 years. The company is committed to providing technological solutions for global issues such as water scarcity and to promoting overall development.

Suez Environnement wins €1.2bn sanitation contract

France-based utility company Suez Environnement has won a public service sanitation outsourcing contract for the district of Provence Métropole in Marseille (MPM).

The contract includes the collection and treatment of wastewater and the management of urban rainwater for around 900,000 residents in the district and surrounding areas.

Valued at €1.2bn, over €80m will be generated through annual revenues by the contract over a 15-year period. Suez Environnement will invest a total of €60m throughout the duration of the contract.

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