Work is due to begin in January 2010 on the 100,000 m³/d Nemmeli seawater desalination plant south of Chennai, India. Chennai Metrowater issued work orders in the first week of January for the project.
The reverse-osmosis (RO) plant is to be constructed under a design-build-operate contract awarded to a consortium of IDE Technologies of Israel working with Chennai-based VA Tech Wabag Ltd, which two years ago bought the Austrian parent company, VA Tech Wabag GmbH, back from Siemens.
Commissioning is expected early in 2012 and operation and maintenance has been contracted for seven years. The cost is around Rup 10,300 million (US$ 227 million).
Chennai’s first desalination plant at Minjur is completed except for the intake and outfall pipes which have been delayed due to a design dispute. The 100,000 m³/d SWRO plant, under construction by a consortium, Chennai Water Desalination Ltd led by Befesa of Spain, will now be completed by mid-March 2010.