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According to Ater Hannoura, director of the ministry's public private partnership (PPP) central unit, Egypt's Ministry of Finance will open both bids for the Abu Rawash wastewater treatment plant PPP project during this month.

There were four shortlisted teams but only the following two bid for the project:

• a consortium composed of Orascom Construction Industries (OCIC), Veolia and Aqualia,
• Kuwaiti Al Kharafi

The two other shortlisted teams were the consortium formed by UAE-headquartered Metito Overseas Limited, subsidiary of Gulf Capital, PWT and HOCHTIEF; and Degremont.

The project was scheduled to be awarded by May but it was delayed due to a complaint submitted by a qualified company.

The preferred bidder will be responsible for the design, financing, and construction of the secondary treatment stage as well as raising the capacity of the existing primary treatment plant from 1.2 million m3/day to 1.6 million m3/day. Additionally, the deal has advanced criteria for the Abu Rawash Wastewater Treatment Plant alongside operation & maintenance of the whole site with a capacity of 1.6 million m3/day.

The total project investment is estimated at EGP5 billion (US$653.4 million). The endeavor is expected to be financed through a bridge loan worth EGP1 billion and another 15-year loan worth EGP4 billion.

The project is planned to be operational two years after construction begins.

In early 2015, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi announced that his government has plans to develop mechanisms to increase cooperation between the public and private sectors in order to deliver major infrastructure projects. Al-Sisi also mentioned that the government is working on reforming the laws that organise the public and private sectors, anti-corruptions laws and the pension system.

Throughout this past month we have reported on several water & waste PPP projects globally:

• Miami-Dade biosolids processing facility (BPF) - USA
• Integrated Waste Management System in Western Macedonia region- Greece
• Tacloban city north bulk water supply project - Philippines
• Nis waste PPP project - Serbia
• Baixada Fluminense/Bacia do Guandu and Leste Metropolitano Fluminense sanitation project - Brazil
• Calgary composting facility P3 project - Canada
• New Centennial Water Source Project - Philippines