In Egypt, SUEZ wins an operation and maintenance contract for one of the largest wastewater treatment plants in Africa

SUEZ and its partner, Arab Contractors, win the operation and maintenance contract for the Gabal El Asfar¹ wastewater treatment plant in Cairo, for four years and an overall amount of €40 million, of which €28 million will be attributed to SUEZ. With a capacity of 1 million m³ per day, the two treatment lines of the facility will treat wastewater for almost 5 million inhabitants of the city of Cairo, Egypt. The contract will come into effect as of March 1st, 2021.

Greater Cairo has seen a historic growth in population for several years, and currently has a population of 22 million inhabitants. To meet the growing needs of the urban agglomeration in terms of wastewater treatment, the Gabal El Asfar plant in Cairo has undergone two extensions since its construction to become the largest wastewater treatment plant in Africa. This new contract, which follows the construction and operation of one of the lines starting in 2005, enables to continue the transfer of expertise from the Group’s Egyptian teams.

The contract includes the operation and maintenance of both treatment lines with total capacity of 500,000 m³ per day each, as well as the rehabilitation of the plant’s supervision and power generation systems. SUEZ will also carry out optimization works to enable the plant to increase its energy self-sufficiency from 55% to more than 65% with the production of electricity from the biogas generated by the treatment of sludge. The electricity² produced will avoid the emission of 28,000 tons of carbon equivalent per year, thereby contributing to the reduction of the facility’s carbon footprint.

Our historical presence in the country for more than 70 years combined with the expertise of our employees in water treatment services allowed us to win this emblematic contract which strengthens the Group’s local ties in Egypt. We are proud of the continued confidence expressed by Construction Authority for Potable Water and Wastewater (CAPW) in entrusting us with the operation of part of the largest wastewater treatment plant on the African continent. In line with the SUEZ 2030 strategic plan, the Group is reinforcing its international activities.

Ana Giros , Group SEVP - APAC* / AMECA* Regions & Industrial Key Accounts

* APAC (Asia, Australia and India) / AMECA (Africa, Middle East, Central Asia)

¹Gabal El Asfar stage 1, which treats 1 million m³ of wastewater per day, was supplemented in 2007 with Gabal Optimisation, with daily capacity of 300,000 m³, Gabal 2B with daily capacity of 500,000 m³, and Gabal 2A which manages 500,000 m³/day.
²The production of electricity through digestion and cogeneration is estimated at 56,000 MWh per year

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