Business News of Thursday, 28 March 2013
Source: citifmonline
Plans are underway in Sekondi-Takoradi to process sea water into potable water to supply the increasing population in the Western Region.
The desalination project is being developed by Hydrocol Infrastructure, a wholly Ghanaian owned company, which is leading the way in attracting private investment in water and energy infrastructure in the country.
The development of a desalination plant in the Western Region, once complete, will produce an additional 22 Million Gallons of water per Day (MGD) for Ghana Urban Water Limited (GUWL) for onward supply to the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis, which currently receives only 4 MGD from the two existing water treatment plants in Inchaban and Daboase.
Pre-feasibility studies have already been undertaken by Abengoa Water of Spain, the engineering company that will undertake the work.
The project will play a key role in alleviating pressure on water supply caused by rapid population expansion, and ensure that the country is able to keep pace with the growth in economic activity spurred by the burgeoning oil industry in the region.
The Volta River Authority is heavily dependent on water for cooling their thermal plants and the water produced by this plant will go a long way to ensuring the needs of the VRA are met.
In addition, the project will also provide potable water for the oil industry which is in dire need of potable water.
Furthermore, commercial ships would no longer need to load water from the Ivory Coast before coming to dock at Takoradi.
The project, which will require an investment of between $160 million and $190 million, will be the country’s second large scale private investment in the water sector after the Nungua Project.
No capital outlay from Ghana Water Company Ltd or Government.
This is an extension of the partnership that was started with the Nungua desalination plant, which Abengoa is currently constructing. This is evidence of Abengoa Water’s confidence in Ghana and Hydrocol.
With Sekondi-Takoradi’s urban population growing at 3.25% a year, sanitation, which is already a critical aspect of national development will become increasingly important.
Only 14% of Ghanaians have access to sanitation facilities, and access to clean water is fundamental in ensuring access to better sanitation services.
President John Dramani Mahama made mention of the ground-breaking 13 MGD desalination plant, which is currently under construction in Nungua, Greater Accra, as the first major private investment in water in the country.
The 125 million US Dollar investment is for a 25 year contract with Ghana Water Company Ltd under Build, Own, and Operate and Transfer (BOOT) arrangement and is in line with Government’s plans to promote public-private partnerships in the country with local content.