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DesalData Weekly - November 20th, 2016

Posted 20 November, 2016 by Mandy

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The new desalination plant will be located near this Chennai beach, close to the Bay of Bengal  Credit: Desalination.biz

In Chennai, India, the municipal water agency Metrowater has issued tenders for a new reverse osmosis plant near the Bay of Bengal.  Metrowater is now pursuing bids for a 20-year design and build contract; consultancy services for supervised construction; and monitoring services for environmental and social impact.[1]

 

The new facility will become Chennai’s third desalination plant.  It is expected to produce 150,000 cubic metres of water per day, which will be carried 40 kilometres within Chennai, from a location next to Nemelli, to the municipiality of Pallavaram.  It is expected that Germany’s state-owned KfW Development Bank will provide a loan to fund the project, which as an expected cost of USD $202 million.[2]

 

Along Kenya’s northern coast, officials may soon build a 100,000 cubic metre desalination plant. But this depends on the price of lands along inviting waters and beaches of the Indian Ocean.  Last month, the officials of Mombasa County expressed an interest in conducting a feasibility study for the design, build, and operation of a desalination plant in Shanzu, a suburb of Mombasa.[3]  But according to the Mombasa County Governor, Hassan Joho, the price of land in Shanzu has rapidly increased in a very short period of time: while three acres cost roughly USD $88,448 a few years ago, it now costs $383,273.  It remains to be seen whether municipal authorities will be able to proceed with their plans for a new facility.[4]

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Views of the white beaches of Mtwapa and Takaungu, along Kenya’s north coast   Credit: Makya Travel

 

Meanwhile, Namibia’s new public-private partnership legislation may result in the creation of a 70,000 cubic metre desalination plant in the Erongo Region.[5] Namibia’s Finance Minister, Calle Schlettwein, has said that the Namibian Water Corporation (or another entity) will purchase water from a private firm which will be in charge of the plant’s design, construction, and operation.

 

The facility is intended to “meet a shortfall in demand for water from domestic and industrial consumers.”[6]  To move the project forward, the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Forestry is now in talks with the Germany’s KfW Development Bank to fund a feasibility study.[7]

 

 

 

[1] “Chennai Metrowater Seeks Bidders for Desal Mega-Project,” Desalination.biz, November 16, 2016, <http://www.desalination.biz/news/0/Chennai-Metrowater-seeks-bidders-for-desal-mega-project/8594/> accessed November 17, 2016.

[2] Ibid. See also, “Germany’s KFW May Fund Desalination Study,” Namibian.com, November 16, 2016, <http://www.namibian.com.na/48071/read/Germanys-KFW-may-fund-desalination-study> accessed November 17, 2016.

[3] “Land Prices ‘Astronomical,’ says Mombasa Governor,” Desalination.biz, November 16, 2016, <http://www.desalination.biz/news/0/Land-prices-quotastronomicalquot-says-Mombasa-governor/8596/> accessed November 17, 2016.

[4] Ibid.

[5] “Namibia Plans Feasibility Study to Underpin PPP Desal Project,” Desalination.biz, November 16, 2016, <http://www.desalination.biz/news/0/Namibia-plans-feasibility-study-to-underpin-PPP-desal-project/8592/> accessed November 17, 2016.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

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