Egypt’s National Authority For Potable Water & Sewage, in partnership with the Ministry of Finance’s PPP Central Unit, is planning to tender contracts for three private desalination schemes by mid-October.

MEED reported in June that the PPP Central Unit was planning to tender three desalination projects under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.

Atter Hannoura, director of the PPP Central Unit, told MEED that representatives from the body were meeting the PPP Supreme Committee, chaired by the prime minister, on 19 August to seek approval for the three desalination schemes. Once the approval has been granted, the PPP Central Unit is hoping to begin the tendering process in late September or early October.

The projects include a 40,000 cubic-metre-a-day (cm/d) desalination facility at Hurghada, a 20,000-cm/d plant at El-Tor City and a 80,000-cm/d plant, which will be located on the north coast near Alexandria.

For the Hurghada plant, the prefeasibility study is currently being completed. The study is being redone after the site for the proposed plant was changed due to concerns over the formerly chosen location.

For the El-Tor project, studies are ongoing and the final scope might be expanded to 100,000 cm/d.

Hannoura said another three desalination projects were due to be tendered in the second or third quarter of 2016. A further two desalination schemes are being considered for the Suez canal corridor.

The PPP Central Unit is also planning to oversee the development of four water treatment plants under the PPP model.

Prospects for progress with Egypt’s PPP programme have improved dramatically with the news that a consortium has been selected for the Abu Rawash wastewater project.