To increase investment in seawater desalination and wastewater reuse tenfold, Egypt is relying on public private partnerships (PPPs). The government of this North African country has thus launched a call for financing for local and foreign companies through the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Egypt (TSFE). “A partnership with these different parties will maximise the return on investment in the water sector in Egypt,” says Hala El-Said, the Egyptian Minister of Planning and Economic Development.
Companies interested in the call for financing have until September 2021 to submit their bids to the Egyptian Sovereign Wealth Fund, a financing mechanism managed by the Egyptian Ministry of Planning and Economic Development.
An alternative to water stress
In the fiscal year 2021/22, the Egyptian authorities plan to increase investment in productive sectors such as water by 100%. The desalination policy in Egypt is a result of the scarcity of surface and groundwater resources. This situation is caused by climate change, which leads to water evaporation and changes in rainfall patterns, making water harvesting efforts even more difficult.
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The Egyptian government plans to equip 19 coastal cities with reverse osmosis plants by 2022, 47 by 2030 and 67 by 2050. These plants will be built in Nabq, Ras Sidr, Abu Zanima, Dahab, Nuieba, Arish 1, Arish 2, Arish 3, Arish 4, Sheikh Zowayed 1, Sheikh Zowayed 2, on the outskirts of Sidi Barani, Port Said West, Dabaa, Marina 1, Marina 2, Marbella and New Mansoura.
To cope with water stress, the Egyptian government is also focusing on the reuse of treated wastewater in agriculture and in the preservation of ecosystems, thus contributing to sustainable socio-economic development in Egypt.
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Ines Magoum