Khaberni - The Egyptian government is taking additional steps as part of efforts to increase water resources and find alternatives to traditional sources as the water coverage rate of the Nile River for needs declines due to population increase.
The government is expanding desalination projects, in cooperation with international partners, and is currently moving towards involving the private sector to broaden the base of financial investments and increase the rates of execution and geographic spread of the stations.
The Minister of Housing, Utilities, and Urban Communities, Randa El-Menshawy, discussed with an Emirati company cooperation in the field of establishing and operating sea water desalination stations in partnership with the private sector, within the framework of implementing the strategic plan for water desalination until 2050.
El-Menshawy emphasized the increasing importance of desalination projects, which support the plans for sustainable urban development, expansion in constructing new cities, and development of coastal areas.
She stressed that localizing the electromechanical equipment industry, especially the manufacturing of membranes used in desalination technology, is a top priority during the coming period, referring to the strategic plan for desalinating sea water until 2050, and the promising investment opportunities it offers, in light of the state's direction to enhance private sector participation in desalination projects.
The minister discussed the proposed offers for executing projects in a public-private partnership (PPP) system, the ratios of local components and plans for industrial localization, focusing on achieving the highest levels of operational efficiency and reducing energy consumption.
The day before yesterday, Egypt signed two agreements with the African Development Bank to study the implementation of several desalination stations in a number of provinces, aiming to enhance water security.
The agreements according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "aim to prepare the necessary technical studies for the desalination project using renewable energy, which targets the implementation of 5 desalination stations in 4 provinces, to enhance water security and support efforts towards sustainable development".
Egypt's water needs exceed 114 billion cubic meters annually, while the country's water resources are estimated at about 59.60 billion cubic meters annually, including 55.50 billion from the Nile River.
The other water resources are distributed as follows: rainwater approximately 1.30 billion cubic meters, 2.40 billion from deep non-renewable groundwater, and 0.40 billion from sea water desalination, with 21.60 billion cubic meters annually reused, and importing agricultural crops from abroad which corresponds to a water consumption estimated at about 33 billion cubic meters annually.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has confirmed that water security is a top strategic priority for the state, noting that the expansion in desalination projects has become a crucial necessity to keep up with population growth and comprehensive development plans.
He confirmed the government's readiness to offer all incentives and facilities to companies and alliances to contribute to achieving this goal, currently comparing several offers from major companies specialized in this field to implement desalination projects, aiming to choose the best technically and financially, ensuring the highest quality standards and achieving the national targets for localizing modern technology.
There are currently 129 desalination stations in Egypt with a total capacity of 1.411 million cubic meters/day, in addition to 19 other stations under construction with a total capacity of 687,000 cubic meters/day, according to government data.
Egypt plans to tender existing desalination stations under private-public-partnership (PPP) contracts in the provinces: Matrouh, the Red Sea, and North and South Sinai, with a total of 11 projects and capacities reaching 485,000 cubic meters/day. It also plans to implement 14 more projects under this system, with a total capacity of 2.36 million cubic meters/day.
