Public water companies in Sinai, Matrouh and the Red Sea have signed contracts worth about 4.6 billion Egyptian pounds with private operators to run and maintain eleven desalination plants, the Ministry of Housing announced on Sunday 18 October.
The facilities concerned have a combined theoretical capacity of 485,000 cubic metres per day. The contracts cover their operation and maintenance, as part of the development of drinking water services on Egypt's coasts, the ministry said.
The new services are expected to reduce breakdowns and interruptions, improve energy efficiency and stabilise the supply of drinking water, according to Deputy Housing Minister Ahmed Omran. The public water company intends to prioritise preventive maintenance and the planning of interventions rather than repairs after failure.
The average annual cost of the contracts approaches 1.2 billion Egyptian pounds, said Assem Shokry, vice-chairman of the public holding company. The holding company will retain technical oversight of the facilities and will assess the operators on their operating costs, equipment availability and the quality of the water produced.
Seven plants are located in northern and southern Sinai, with a capacity of 240,000 cubic metres per day. Three others, in Matrouh, total 165,000 cubic metres, while the plant in the Red Sea governorate represents 80,000 cubic metres per day.