Three consortia - Canada's SNCLavalin, with the US' Ionics; a Spanish group led by Cobra Instalaciones & Servicios; and Spain's BarnaInvestment,with Lemna International of the US - submitted technical bids for the contracts late last year (MEED 12:12:03).

The successful bidders, along with AEC and AlgeriennedesEaux(AdE), will take a stake in new project companies which will undertake the design, construction, operation and management of the estimated $100 million-120 million desalination plants.

The project companies will also be responsible for owning and financing the plants, which will employ reverse osmosis (RO) technology. In each case, output from the plant will be sold to an offtake group comprising state energy company Sonatrachand AdE (MEED 12:9:03).

AEC is preparing tender documents for a planned 50,000-cm/d desalination plant at Jijel, 360 kilometres east of Algiers. The tender is expected to be issued shortly. AEC has also invited companies to submit technical bids by 14 September for a 100,000-cm/d plant at Mostaganem and a 50,000-cm/d plant at Tlemcen (MEED 9:7:04).