Metito, a leading global provider of water and alternative energy management solutions, announced that its consortium with Orascom and Cobra has won the tender to build a seawater desalination plant in Sfax, Tunisia, further strengthening the group’s presence in North Africa. 

 

The tender was raised by the Société Nationale d'Exploitation et de Distribution des Eaux (SONEDE), a public establishment of the Ministry of Agriculture Tunisia, to enhance water security in the country.

 

The project is fully funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Organization (JICA) and is set to begin operations in February 2024. 

 

As per the deal, Metito will carry out the design, procurement, and construction (EPC) of the project which is estimated to be complete within 30 months. 

 

Once operational, the plant will provide an output of 100,000 cu m of potable water per day, with the possibility of doubling its capacity to 200,000 cu m per day, said the statement from Metito. 

 

In addition to the construction, which began in August, the JV will also be responsible for operating and maintaining the project for two years after its completion. 

 

The new desalination plant will play a critical role in advancing the growing relationship between Egypt and Tunisia, especially in the field of water, it added. 

 

Metito Africa Managing Director Engineer Karim Madwar said: "Water is a key contributor to the socio-economic development, from industries, to families and farms. Water is also a scarce resource, and this is contributing to the surge in the global demand for seawater desalination."