Fluence Corporation secures major Egyptian desalination plant contract
Fluence has secured an Egyptian desalination plant contract and has also unveiled its SUBRE submerged membrane aerated biofilm reactor solution.
Fluence Corporation’s (ASX: FLC) Egyptian joint venture partner has signed an engineering, procurement and construction contract for the design and build of a desalination plant that will serve around 250,000 people in Egypt.
The contract handed to its Egyptian JV, The International Co for Water Services & Infrastructure (IWSI) together with Hassan Allam EPC, is valued at US$74 million.
Through IWSI, Fluence will act as the technology provider, designing the process and supplying the pre-treatment, reverse osmosis skids, post-treatment equipment and the start-up and commissioning of the plant for US$20 million.
Hassan Allam EPC will provide the local works, including the marine design and execution of the intake and outfall.
While the plant’s initial supply will be set at 40,000 cubic metres a day, Fluence said the custom engineered solution will encompass the design and build for a future capacity expansion to 80,000 cubic metres a day.
Once complete, the plant will serve New Mansoura city, which is currently under construction along Egypt’s northern coast on the Mediterranean Sea. It’s anticipated that New Mansoura will have a population of approximately 250,000 people when its first phase is inaugurated.
Fluence managing director and chief executive officer Henry Charrabé said the New Mansoura plant will be among the larger desalination plant references for Fluence to date and, if expanded, one of the largest in all of Egypt.
“As we continue to focus on Egypt as one of the most promising desalination markets in the world, we’re deploying both Smart Packaged Solutions and custom engineered solutions to meet the growing water requirements,” he said.
“We are excited to work with our partner Hassan Allam on this important project for the people of New Mansoura.”
The plant is expected to be operational in 18 months.
Fluence first secured a foothold into Egypt last October after securing a US$7.6 million contract to supply three of its Nirobox seawater desalination plants to the Egyptian Government’s Ministry of Housing.
SUBRE solution unveiled
It’s been a busy week for Fluence on the news front. On Monday, the company announced the commercial launch of its SUBRE submerged membrane aerated biofilm reactor (MABR) solution.
The solution will be available as a retrofit upgrade, and as a new greenfield plant.
Fluence said the SUBRE configurations lend the innovation of MABR technology to large-scale, conventional wastewater treatment plants.
The company has already been successful in securing its first orders for the SUBRE greenfield solution, with two SUBRE installations to be built with Jamaican local partner Engineering and Technology Associates.
The installations will serve two new housing developments in the Kingston and Spanish Town areas of Jamaica and are forecast to be commissioned in the third quarter of 2019. Once commissioned, the plant will feature low operating costs and will be easy to operate and maintain locally.
According to Fluence, its SUBRE greenfield solution was selected due to its low energy consumption, high effluent quality and small footprint, all ideal for remote locations.
“When a conventional wastewater treatment facility has reached its limit, Fluence’s newly launched SUBRE technology solves these challenges,” Charrabé said.
“Instead of enlarging current plants and building new basins, SUBRE modules are submerged in existing chambers, improving effluent quality, lowering the use of chemicals, saving energy and operational costs, and enlarging capacity.”
Fluence’s shares were trading 8.8% higher in afternoon trade to $0.43.