PARIS, Dec. 21, 2007 -- Veolia Water has been selected to run the Operations and Maintenance part of the Reverse 0smosis (RO) desalination plant of the F2 Independent Water and Power Project (F2 IWPP) in Qidfa, Fujairah in the UAE. The plant will produce 136,500m³/day of desalinated water. The contract, worth an estimated cumulated amount of 115 million USD (€ 78 million), has been awarded by Fujairah F2 O&M Company Ltd, which has been set up by International Power Plc and Marubeni Corp.
This new contract is a clear indication of the trust that Veolia Water has built through the previously awarded contract in August 2007 by the F2 IWPP Project Company for the construction of the two new desalination plants (RO and MED) for a value of €596 million ($805 million). The desalination plants are part of the Independent Water & Power Project (known as F2 IWPP) which will also include a 2000MW power plant. The project is headed by a consortium set up by the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) in collaboration with International Power Plc and Marubeni Corp which will operate and maintain all the facilities.
The originality of the desalination solution being built by Veolia Water lies in the combination of the two main different technologies that will be used simultaneously to meet the growing demand of the population and strengthen the region's development potentials. The Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant has a production capacity of 136,500m³/day and will be operated by Veolia Water while the Multiple Effect Distillation (MED) plant will be operated by Fujairah F2 O&M Company. This innovative combination will allow optimal use of the electricity generated by the power plant, especially during the winter months.
This Operation and Maintenance contract covers a period of 12 years, starting in the summer of 2010, and is in addition to a pre-operational period lasting 3 years. Veolia Water will assist the International Power Plc and Marubeni Corp in improving all aspects of the RO plant as well as in the coordination and preparation for the start-up of all operations.
Commenting on the contract, Antoine Frérot, Chief Executive Officer for Veolia Water said, "Veolia Water's capacity to tailor operation & maintenance solutions to meet client strategies and its ability to optimize human resources has enabled our company to win a second major contract with the same client within just four months of winning the design and build contract for the desalination plants in Fujairah. Our proven worldwide expertise and experience in Design & Build as well as Operation & Maintenance of plants for water treatment and distribution for growing populations is an underlying factor for our development."
Veolia Water is very active in this part of the world. The company is strongly developing its presence as operator of water services through different contracts, notably for the management of the wastewater network in the Emirate of Ajman and for the conception, construction and exploitation of a water desalination plant in the Sultanate of Oman.
Veolia Water, the water division of Veolia Environnement, is a world leader in water and wastewater services.
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