Tunisia's National Water Exploitation and Distribution Company (SONEDE) has signed an agreement with India's VA Tech Wabag for a drinking water plant in Béjaoua, in the Manouba governorate. The new plant will have a capacity of 345,000 m3 per day.
VA Tech Wabag gains notoriety in Tunisia. The Indian company, specialized in desalination and water treatment for municipalities and industries, has won a new contract in the North African country. The agreement covers the design, supply, construction and commissioning of a drinking water plant in Béjaoua, a commune in the Manouba governorate, northwest of the capital Tunis. The company, based in Chennai, in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, will also operate and maintain the future plant for 12 months.
This new contract was awarded by Tunisia’s National Water Exploitation and Distribution Company (SONEDE). According to the public company, the aim is to guarantee a continuous supply of drinking water to over 2 million people, and above all to reinforce water security in the Tunisian capital, whose population is estimated at over 2.5 million.
AFD and EIB financing
To achieve this objective, Sonede is counting on a drinking water production capacity of 345,000 m3 per day. “The multi-stage treatment process includes screening, coagulation, flocculation, compact lamella clarifiers, sand filtration, sludge thickening and centrifuge dewatering,” explains VA Tech Wabag, which is due to deliver the Béjaoua drinking water treatment plant by the end of 2026.
Estimated at 50 million euros before tax, Sonede will finance the work thanks to two separate loans from the French Development Agency (AFD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
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In addition to improving drinking water supply, the project will enhance access to basic sanitation and good hygiene practices, both of which are essential for human development. India’s VA Tech Wabag is also developing a seawater desalination plant in Zarat, Tunisia, to address the shortage of drinking water in the port region of Gabes, and above all to limit overexploitation of the water table. The plant is scheduled to come on stream in 2024.
Inès Magoum
