Veolia to build water desalination plant in Iraq

Veolia Environnement has won a contract from the Iraqi Ministry for Municipalities and Public Works to construct a water desalination plant with an ultrafiltration unit and reverse osmosis membranes.

The desalination plant will be capable of producing 200,000m³ of drinking water a day. The technology will reduce the salt content in the drinking water for Basra’s population of 2.3 million people. The desalination plant will have its own electricity generators to guarantee continuous service.

Veolia will build and operate the desalination plant for five years. Construction work on the plant will commence in the first quarter of 2014 and will be completed within 30 months.

The contract represents cumulated sales of $11m. It was won in partnership with Japanese firm Hitachi and Egyptian engineering firm ArabCo. It will also create 300 jobs for the construction of the desalination units provided by ArabCo, and 50 jobs for the facility’s operation for five years.

Veolia CEO Antoine Frérot said that Veolia is capable of delivering reliable solutions to the scarcity of water resources and challenges facing large cities, especially in countries where water is crucial to economic development.

"I am delighted that Veolia has been chosen by the Iraqi authorities to support the modernisation of Basra, and that the company is able to provide a solution to the challenges confronted by this city, a leading centre for the oil and gas industry," Frérot added.

Veolia director of global enterprises Jean-Michel Herrewyn said: "The innovative technology and solutions we are providing Basra will enable it to improve its citizens’ access to quality drinking water while protecting its resources."