Plans for a fourth desalination plant at the Indian city of Chennai moved forward recently following a visit from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to consider finalising its funding for the project.
Under the proposed 400,000 m³/d project, regional supplier, Chennai Metrowater will complete the plant in 42 months, after the contract has been awarded. The state government had sought funding from JICA for the plant’s construction.
Two plants are in operation in the area and another is in the planning stages but projections indicate they are not adequate to meet growing demand in the region.
One of the operating plants is the 100,000 m³/d reverse osmosis (RO) Nemmelli plant built by a joint venture led by water technology firm, Wabag, under a design, construct and operate deal. Also in operation is the 100,000 m³/d Minjur RO desalination plant built by Indian infrastructure company IVRCL under a 25-year design, build, own, operate and transfer contract.
A third project was unveiled in September last year after the Tamil Nadu state government received funding for the US$ 208 million plant from German government funding agency, Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau.
The 150,000 m³/d plant will supply drinking water in southern and central Chennai.