A group led by the UK's Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners has been awarded a consultancy contract valued at about $10 million for the Yesilcay water supply project for Istanbul. The group was not the low bidder, but came out ahead in technical and price evaluation by the client, the State Hydraulics Works (DSI) (MEED 7:10:94). The other partners in the group are Setan and Su Is, both local.

Seven ventures tendered for the contract, led by other international firms including CH2M International and Black & Veatch International, both of the US, France's Safege, Sweden's Sweco, Germany's Lahmeyer International, and the UK's Mott MacDonald.

The six-year contract will include design and construction supervision. Design work will be staged along with construction tender invitations in eight packages. These are: the construction of regulators on two rivers; the construction of one pumping station and the laying of 30 kilometres of transmission pipeline; a second similar contract; the construction of a water treatment plant with a 500,000-cubic-metre-a-day capacity; an electronic, remote control system for the project; steel pipe manufacture; and concrete pipe manufacture. Tender invitations may be sent out for the first package in early summer.

The $150 million Yesilcay scheme should provide about 145 million cubic metres of water a year. It will be the first of two large schemes to be completed which are aimed at relieving Istanbul's chronic water shortage. It will be part financed by a $80 million loan from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development. Consultants have also submitted prequalification applications for the second scheme, the $1,400 million Greater Melen river project (MEED 14:10:94).