Veolia Water wins Bahrain MED desalination contract
Veolia Water, the water division of Veolia Environnement, won a contract worth US$ 336 million for the turnkey supply of a seawater desalination plant in Bahrain. Start-up of the plant will take place from April 2007 with the first two units till November 2007.
The plant will have a drinking water production capacity of 273,000 cubic meters per day, making it the largest desalination plant in the world using the thermal process known as multiple effect distillation (MED). Sidem, a subsidiary of Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies, is the world leader in MED with more than 370 units built so far.
MED is based on the evaporation and condensation of seawater in a series of chambers under vacuum. When water is evaporated in the chambers, the salt content is separated out. The Bahrain plant will be combined with Al Hidd power plant from which it will recover the low-pressure steam to feed the 10 desalination units. Each unit has the capacity to produce 27,300 cubic meters per day of drinking water. For more information, visit www.veoliawater.com.
Amiantit forecasts $800M in global pipe sales
The Saudi Arabian Amiantit Company, based in Dammam, recently forecast that sales of its glass-reinforced polyester (GRP) pipes for water and sewage systems will surpass US$ 800 million in 2006.
In March, the company announced five contract awards to supply pipe systems for major projects in Gulf Cooperation Council countries worth US$ 20 million. GCC states comprise Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. A $4.26 million order is for Abu Dhabi’s water supply project for the Ghayathi and Hamra Military project. Other orders include two water supply projects in Oman -- the $2.6 million Shinas Wilayat system and the $2.1 million Saham project.
Amiantit also announced in March that it is participating on an equal share basis in two joint venture partnerships to establish GRP pipe production plants in Morocco and Algeria to meet local demands. The $23 million Moroccan manufacturing facility will be built in Casablanca as a joint venture under the name of Amitech Maroc. The new factory's first order is for 90 km of GRP large-diameter pipes to transfer 45 million cubic meters of water per year from the Mohamed Mokhtar Soussi and Aloulouz dams to irrigate the Guerdane area near to Agadir, and 76 km of GRP pipes for a distribution network covering an area of 10,000 ha. The order is for a build, operate and transfer (BOT) project with a total contract value of $77 million awarded to Amensous SA, in which Inframan, a 100% subsidiary of Amiantit, has 15% participation in the capital.
The Algerian factory will be located in Mostghanerm and is a joint venture under the name of Amitech Algeria in 50% - 50% partnership between Amiantit International Holding and the Lakehal-Ayat family. The partnership’s first order, 26 km of GRP pipe to transfer water between Douera and El Harrach, is worth an estimated $21 million. According to Amiantit President and Chief Executive Officer Eng. Fareed Al-Khalawi, "Populations are increasing everywhere, resulting in ongoing expansion of public service infrastructures, and these two new manufacturing facilities are another step forward in our policy of strategic global expansion by meeting worldwide demand for Amiantit products through fulfilling local orders with local manufacture. The company already has Amitech manufacturing facilities in Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Poland, South Africa, Spain, USA, and Kazakhstan, plus AFIPL which is a GRP manufacturing joint venture in Goa, India.
Halcrow designs natural system
The UK consultancy Halcrow designed a natural treatment system for a new wastewater treatment plant in Puerto Cortés on the Caribbean coast of Honduras to protect the environment and public health.
In 2001, the Municipality of Puerto Cortés predicted that the city’s population would increase from 55,000 to 84,000 by 2015. The municipality appointed Halcrow to first review the technologies and options for wastewater treatment and to recommend an economic and sustainable system.
In 2003, the municipality appointed Halcrow to design the recommended natural treatment system. Michael Norton, Halcrow’s project director, explained: “Honduras is a relatively poor country and the need to deliver effective but affordable wastewater treatment is of paramount importance. In Puerto Cortes, we recommended and designed a system that relies on the natural processes that take place in waste stabilization ponds. Using a number of processes from screening through anaerobic, facultative and maturation ponds, the wastewater will be treated at a significantly lower whole life cost than mechanized systems.”
BML awarded contract
The Drainage Services Department of the Hong Kong SAR government awarded Biwater Man Lee Limited (BML) a US $9-million contract to supply and install electrical and mechanical equipment for the expansion of Shek Wu Hui Sewage Treatment Works.
BML will supply all the electrical and mechanical equipment for sludge handling, bio-reactor, final sedimentation tank and the associated system.
The expansion will increase the advanced dry weather flow from 80 million liters per day (mld) to 93 mld. The parent company of BML is Biwater, based in the UK.
Field Notes
Denmark: Grundfos Group, a major global pump manufacturer based in Bjerringbro, reported strong sales growth and new record earnings in 2005. The primary reason for the good result is strong sales growth of DKK 1.3 billion, corresponding to 10.4 percent. The Group’s overall turnover was DKK 13,422 million (Web: www.grundfos.com).
Grundfos business areas contributed to the sales growth, which, however, varied from one region to another, with high growth rates in new markets like Eastern Europe, Russia and Asia and a more moderate development in Western Europe. Growth in sales was 20 percent in Eastern Europe, over 40 percent in Russia, and Asia showed an overall growth of 16 percent. Intense focusing on the North American market resulted in a 13 per cent growth for that particular market. In 2005 considerable investments were spent on establishing new factories in China, India, Russia and Hungary.
Netherlands: Amsterdam RAI formed a new partnership with ITT, a leading global engineering and manufacturing firm, that establishes ITT as the exclusive gold sponsor for this year’s Aquatech Amsterdam, the world’s leading trade event for process, drinking and wastewater. Aquatech Amsterdam 2006 will be held between 26 and 29 September in the Amsterdam RAI Congress & Exhibition Centre, The Netherlands.
Product Manager Xander de Bruine of Amsterdam RAI commented: “We are also still negotiating partnerships with a number of other parties. We are striving for a total of three or four sponsor contracts.” During Aquatech ITT will simultaneously place its Flygt, Lowara, Aquious and Wedeco brands in the spotlight for the first time.
UK: The BHR Group’s 3rd International Conference on Hydraulic Modelling will take place in Cranfield from 12-13 October 2006. Papers presented will provide practical insight into latest news and developments of hydraulic modelling by presenting information about innovative modelling research and theory, examples of real-life projects and application case studies.
Despite the move towards complex computerized techniques everyday problems are still being solved using a combination of established physical modelling techniques and reliable mathematical models. Physical models remain a proven method to validate designs and allow the study of fluid flows, simulation of field conditions and evaluation of alternative solutions under controlled conditions. Stand-alone mathematical models provide a cost-effective solution to improving performance. These approaches produce practical solutions to current industrial problems and papers that include case studies describing novel hydraulic modelling designs are welcome.
The conference is designed for everyone involved with the management and operation of hydraulic systems: Water, Power And Process Companies; Engineers; Consultants; Contractors; Plant Suppliers; International Development Agencies; Research And Development Agencies. The conference is co-sponsored by British Water. For more information, visit: www.bhrgroup.com.
