Engineer Ahmed Omran, Deputy Minister of Housing for Utilities, and Engineer Mostafa El-Shimy, Chairman of the Holding Company for Water and Wastewater (HCWW), witnessed the signing ceremony for the operation and maintenance contracts of 11 seawater desalination plants with a total design capacity of 485,000 cubic meters per day, in partnership with the private sector.
Total Capacity of 485,000 Cubic Meters Per Day
This took place in the presence of Dr. Salah Bayoumi, Major General Engineer Assem Shoukry, and Dr. Aboul Abbas Eissa, Vice Chairmen of the Holding Company for Water and Wastewater, along with a number of leaders from the water and wastewater sector and representatives of specialized private sector companies and consortia.
In this context, Engineer Randa El-Menshawy stated that the State has developed an integrated strategic plan to expand seawater desalination until 2050, aiming to diversify drinking water sources and support urban, industrial, and tourism development plans, particularly in coastal governorates and border regions.
129 Existing Desalination Plants with a Total Capacity of 1.4 Million Cubic Meters Per Day
She pointed out that the number of existing desalination plants has reached approximately 129 plants with a total capacity of up to 1.4 million cubic meters per day, alongside 19 plants currently under implementation with a capacity of 687,000 cubic meters per day, while the strategic plan targets reaching production capacities of nearly 10 million cubic meters per day by 2050.
She emphasized that these contracts aim to develop the drinking water utility management and operation system, enhance private sector participation, and leverage its technical and technological expertise, thereby contributing to raising operation and maintenance efficiency and preserving the investments made by the State in the seawater desalination sector.
Deputy Minister of Housing: New Contracts Aim to Raise Technical Readiness Rates, Reduce Breakdowns and Downtime, and Improve Energy Consumption Efficiency
Engineer Ahmed Omran, Deputy Minister of Housing for Utilities, indicated that the expansion in establishing desalination plants must be accompanied by continuous development of the operation and maintenance system. He stressed that the new contracts aim to increase technical readiness rates, minimize breakdowns and downtime, improve energy consumption efficiency, and ensure the quality of produced water and the stability of drinking water supplies in beneficiary areas.
He underlined that the partnership with the private sector is based on compliance with measurable performance indicators, knowledge transfer, and the development of technical personnel capabilities, affirming that the success of these partnerships is measured by their reflection on plant efficiency and the sustainability of services provided to citizens.
For his part, Engineer Mostafa El-Shimy affirmed that signing the contracts represents an important step in developing the asset management system affiliated with the Holding Company. He explained that the contracts cover 11 plants belonging to three water and wastewater companies, with a total design capacity of 485,000 cubic meters per day, reflecting the scale of production capacities whose efficiency and operational sustainability are targeted for preservation.
He explained that the Holding Company aims through these contracts to transition from breakdown-reactive maintenance to a system based on preventive maintenance and advance planning, while enhancing equipment efficiency, rationalizing the consumption of energy and operational materials, extending the operational lifespan of the plants, and maximizing the utilization of their design capacities.
He added that private sector participation does not mean a diminished role for subsidiary companies; rather, it enhances their capability in asset management, technical supervision and oversight, and monitoring the implementation of contractual obligations. He stressed that the Holding Company will periodically evaluate the outcomes of these contracts according to indicators including operational efficiency, water quality, technical readiness, and operational costs.
Along the same lines, Major General Engineer Assem Shoukry explained that the total cost of the contracts is approximately EGP 4.6 billion, with an average annual cost of nearly EGP 1.2 billion, covering the operation and maintenance of 11 seawater desalination plants belonging to three companies, distributed as follows: 7 plants in North and South Sinai with a total design capacity of 240,000 cubic meters per day, 3 plants in Matrouh with a capacity of 165,000 cubic meters per day, and 1 plant in the Red Sea with a capacity of 80,000 cubic meters per day.
He noted that the North and South Sinai plants include the 17th Kilometer West of El-Arish plant with a capacity of 100,000 cubic meters per day, the Ras Sidr, Abu Zenima, and New Nuweiba plants with a total capacity of 65,000 cubic meters per day, the El-Tor and New Dahab plants with a total capacity of 45,000 cubic meters per day, and the Sharm El-Sheikh plant with a capacity of 30,000 cubic meters per day.
He added that the contracts also include the El-Yosr plant in the Red Sea with a capacity of 80,000 cubic meters per day, alongside the Rumaila 4 plant with a capacity of 65,000 cubic meters per day, the Dabaa plant with a capacity of 40,000 cubic meters per day, and the Rumaila plants complex (1, 2, and 3) with a capacity of 60,000 cubic meters per day in Matrouh Governorate.
Shoukry stressed that the Holding Company will monitor the implementation of the contracts in coordination with the subsidiary companies through a technical monitoring and evaluation system, which includes measuring operational efficiency, readiness rates, produced water quality, energy consumption efficiency, and adherence to preventive maintenance programs to ensure asset preservation and sustainable plant operation.
The contracts were signed on behalf of the subsidiaries of the Holding Company for Water and Wastewater by Major General Engineer Khaled El-Omry Ibrahim, Chairman of the North and South Sinai Water and Wastewater Company; Major General Engineer Bahaa Sayed El-Ahl, Chairman of the Red Sea Water and Wastewater Company; and Brigadier General Engineer Mohamed Afifi, Chairman of the Matrouh Water and Wastewater Company, with representatives of the contracted companies.
Contracts Included: EPROM, ProService, Orascom Construction, Metito-Orascom Consortium, Contrack Facilities Management, and El Sewedy Utilities
The contracts included a number of specialized private sector companies and consortia, namely: Misr Maintenance Company (EPROM), Specialized Engineering Services (ProService), Orascom Construction, the Metito and Orascom Consortium, Contrack Facilities Management, and El Sewedy Utilities, to execute operation and maintenance works in accordance with the scope of work and obligations specified in each contract.
