Egyptian authorities announced on Thursday plans to expand seawater desalination projects in the country, reports Egypt Today.
Egypt’s Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouli, confirmed the state’s interest to build 14 additional desalination plants to increase the total production capacity to 1.4 million cubic metres per day.
Egypt currently has 82 desalination plants with a combined capacity of 917,000 cubic metres per day, said Cabinet Spokesman Nader Saad. The 14 new facilities that are being implemented, will increase the total capacity of desalination plants in the country to around 1.4 million cubic metres per day.
The new desalination plants are being built in the governorates of Marsa Matrouh, the Red Sea, North Sinai, South Sinai, Port Said, Daqahliya, Suez and Alexandria.
During the meeting between Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli and a number of ministers and officials, Madbouli stressed the desire to achieve an effective participation of the private sector in implementing these projects, as part of the country's strategy to expand the participation of the private sector in the Egyptian economy.
The country wishes to increase private sector participation in its economy by increasing it to 65 per cent in the next three years, up from 30 per cent at present.
As part of this effort to increase the country’s desalination plants, a technical committee will be formed said the Prime Minister. It will be tasked with receiving bids from the companies seeking to take on seawater desalination projects and assigning relevant bodies to provide the land and equipment needed for the projects.
The details of the country’s five-year plan from 2020 to 2025 to expand the establishment of seawater desalination projects was also discussed during the meeting and the sites of the proposed plans within the five-year plan and the production capacity expected to be achieved were reviewed.
On May 19th, Egyptian Minister of Local Development had informed that the country had entered the stage of water poverty in accordance with international rates and standards and according to the United Nations.
Egypt’s annual share of water is 560 cubic metres per person, placing the populous country well below the international threshold for water scarcity.
Last week, the European Investment Bank also announced it was studying the possibility of investing in Egypt’s seawater desalination plan.
