OPENING OF MAJOR BOT WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND RECLAMATION PLANT IN KUWAIT

UNCLAS KUWAIT 000986 SIPDIS USDOC FOR 3131 AND USFCS/OIO/ANESA/TGILLMAN STATE FOR NEA/RA AND OES E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: BEXP EINV SENV KU SUBJECT: OPENING OF MAJOR BOT WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND RECLAMATION PLANT IN KUWAIT ¶1. AMBASSADOR AND FCS COMMERCIAL SPECIALIST ATTENDED THE CEREMONY ON MARCH 8, 2005 TO COMMISSION THE SULAIBIYA WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND RECLAMATION PLANT. KUWAITI PRIME MINISTER SHEIKH SABAH AL AHMED AL JABER AL SABAH AND VIRTUALLY THE ENTIRE CABINET WAS ON HAND FOR THE FORMAL OPENING OF THIS HUGE AND INNOVATIVE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT. THIS IS THE FIRST MAJOR B.O.T. PROJECT IN KUWAIT AND THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD USING THE REVERSE OSMOSIS (RO) TECHNIQUE IN DOMESTIC WASTEWATER RECLAMATION. ¶2. THE PROJECT IS THE FIRST AND LARGEST BUILD-OPERATE- TRANSFER (BOT) WASTEWTER TREATMENT AND RECLAMATION PLANT IN KUWAIT. THE PROJECT, WHICH COST ABOUT US$ 400 MILLION, WILL INITIALLY TREAT ABOUT 375,000 CUBIC METERS OF RAW DOMESTIC WASTEWATER PER DAY AND WILL EVENTUALLY REACH UP TO 600,000 CUBIC METERS PER DAY DURING THE 30-YEAR CONCESSION PERIOD. THE PROJECT INCLUDES THE PRELIMINARY TREATMENT AND PUMPING STATION AT ARDIYA, THE TRANSFER PIPELINES FROM ARDIYA TO SULAIBIYA AND THE TREATMENT AND RECLAMATION PLANT AT SULAIBIYA. MOST OF TREATMENT AND RECLAMATION PROCESSES IN THE VARIOUS PLANTS' FACILITIES ARE FULLY AUTOMATED AND USE THE LATEST STATE-OF-THE ART COMPUTER AND CONTROL SYSTEMS. ¶3. THE GOVERNMENT OF KUWAIT WILL BUY ALL RECLAIMED WATER, WHICH WILL BE USED FOR AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS, GARDENING, CAR AND BUILDING WASHING. IT WILL NOT HOWEVER BE USED AS POTABLE WATER THOUGH IT COMPLIES WITH WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)STANDARDS. ¶4. THE U.S. COMPANY IONICS INC. (WATERTOWN, MA) IS THE INTERNATIONAL PARTNER WITH THE LOCAL MOHAMMED A. AL KHARAFI AND SONS GROUP. (IONICS WAS RECENTLY ACQUIRED BY GENERAL ELECTRIC.) IONICS AND KHARAFI AND SONS ESTABLISHED THE UTILITIES DEVELOPMENT COMPANY (UDC) TO EXECUTE THE PROJECT. IONICS' PARTICIPATION IN THIS PROJECT IS THE SECOND LARGEST PRIVATE AMERICAN INVESTMENT IN KUWAIT AFTER DOW CHEMICAL'S PARTICIPATION IN THE EQUATE I PETROCHEMICAL PROJECT. IONICS PROVIDED THE REVERSE OSMOSIS TECHNOLOGY USED FOR THE PLANT AND IS ALSO INVOLVED IN OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE THROUGH A SUBSIDIARY CALLED ITALBA, WHICH IS SPECIALIZED IN ULTRA- FILTRATION AND R.O. TECHNIQUES. LEBARON