A consortium consists of Norwegian renewable energy developer Scatec, Emirati water solution provider Metito, and Egyptian contractor Orascom Construction is currently holding discussions with the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Egypt (TFSE) about the possibility of setting up one of the world’s largest green desalination project to date. This story was first reported by other news agencies including Bloomberg and Afrik 21.
The proposed project comprises a desalination plant with a treatment capacity of 1-2 million cubic meters per day and a PV power plant with a generation capacity of 400MW. The electricity from the PV power plant drives the desalination process, which is very energy intensive. The total investment for the project is estimated around USD 1.5 billion. Commenting on the proposal, Karim Madwar, who is Metito’s general manager for Africa, said that the project will be developed under the model of “build, own, operate, and transfer” (BOOT).
According to a report released by UNICEF in 2021, Egypt is facing a water shortage crisis that is getting more serious over time. The report even stated that the whole country could “run out of water” by 2025. Through TFSE, the Egyptian government is now attempting to raise USD 2.5 billion to build 17 new green desalination plants. Furthermore, the Egyptian government wants have an additional 65 desalination plants operating around the country between now and 2050. Scatec is expected to capture many of the related business opportunities since the company already has significant interests in the country, such as the 1.65GW Beban Solar Park.