Tunisia’s national water agency, Sonede, is preparing to tender the main construction contract for its seawater desalination plant in Sfax.

The plant will have a capacity of 150,000 cubic metres a day (cm/d). It will supply the coastal city of Sfax, Tunisia’s second city and industrial centre.

The project is being funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (Jica), which is involved in more than 10 projects in the country. Jica is one of several international donor agencies involved in ensuring a smooth economic transition in Tunisia.

Sonede is receiving bids for environmental impact studies until 25 November.

In June, a Spanish joint venture of FCC Aqualia and Inima won a $190 million contract to construct a 50-cm/d desalination plant on the island of Djerba.

Sonede is planning another desalination plant in the port city of Gabes. It is also executing more than 20 small-scale desalination plants to improve water quality in the interior of Tunisia.