The two-year anniversary of the acquisition of the Muharraq wastewater treatment plant in Bahrain
• Muharraq was the first water treatment plant that Almar Water Solutions acquired and added to its portfolio of assets and projects.
• The treatment plant currently treats up to 100,000 m3/day of wastewater and reuses part of it for municipal and industrial use.
Yesterday, 9 May, marked the second anniversary of Almar Water Solutions’ acquisition of the stake held by the infrastructure fund Mubadala Infrastructure Partners in the company that owns the Muharraq wastewater treatment plant (Muharraq STP Company). This acquisition was a significant milestone for Almar in its portfolio of wastewater treatment and reuse assets and marked its entry into Bahrain.
Muharraq STP is a 29-year PPP concession for the build, ownership and operation (BOO) of a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant with a nominal capacity of 100,000 cubic meters per day and a 16.5 km long deep gravity sewer in the Muharraq basin (Bahrain). The plant includes a final tertiary treatment stage for the entire flow, which allows the treated water to be reused in urban applications such as lawn irrigation, street cleaning and industrial services.
Located in an extremely arid environment, Bahrain is considered to be one of the countries with the lowest per capita freshwater availability in the world, with around 70 m3/year, an average rainfall of 80 m3/year and high evapotranspiration rates, averaging around 1,850 mm/year. However, despite this water shortage, Bahrain has achieved a highly commendable level of water supply services over the years. Bahrain’s non-conventional water resources consist mainly of desalination and treated municipal wastewater.
The concession for the Muharraq sewage treatment plant was signed in 2011 with the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, and went into commercial operation in December 2014.
After the signing, Carlos Cosín, CEO of Almar Water Solutions, affirmed: “This investment follows the strategic line of owning and operating water assets in the Middle East and other regions. This acquisition represents an expansion of the company’s portfolio of water treatment and reuse assets, thus reinforcing its activity. It also gives us a unique opportunity to contribute to the development of the water sector in Bahrain and all of the Gulf countries.”
The Muharraq sewage treatment plant collects all of the wastewater from the island of Muharraq, with around 250,000 inhabitants, and has treated 176 million cubic meters of water to date. The project employs almost 70 people, between concession and operation and maintenance.
Almar Water Solutions thus continues with its plan for project acquisition and agreements with local companies, with the aim of providing capital, experience and know-how in regions with high drinking water needs.
Source: https://water.fanack.com/bahrain/water-resources-bahrain/