Vol 2, Issue 11 (November 2001)

Analysis

General

  • Brazilian water law vote delayed again

    A CONGRESSIONAL VOTE ON BRAZIL’S DRAFT WATER LAW (Draft law 4147) scheduled for 24 October has been delayed indefinitely.

  • Central and eastern Europe: a mixed scorecard

    Twelve years after the momentous changes of 1989, the picture of water privatisation in central and eastern Europe is mixed. On the one hand, states such as the Czech Republic and Hungary have made significant progress in creating a favourable investment climate and meeting the requirements of EU directives. Yet in other countries, the institutional and regulatory structures needed to finance projects are lacking, or not sufficiently developed.

  • Czech water price rises

    A report from the Association of Czech Waterworks (Sovak) shows that just over 87% of the Czech population is now supplied with drinking water, while three quarters of inhabitants live in buildings connected to the public sewer network. However, prices continued to rise in 2000, up by an average of 7.4% compared with 1999.

  • Enron to quit South American water contracts

    ENRON IS RUMOURED to be about to relinquish all its water industry concessions in Brazil and Argentina and does not intend to stick around for any new concession bids.

  • German PPPs: progress maintained

    As part of the consortium that acquired a stake in the Berliner Wasserbetriebe (BWB), Vivendi Water not only gained a seat on the management board but a chance to expand its presence in Germany and central and eastern Europe. In this interview, Christophe Hug, managing director of Vivendi Water Deutschland describes his company’s position in the region two years after the privatisation of BWB and imparts his view of German market liberalisation. Hug was talking to Peter Allison at this year’s IWA World Water Congress in Berlin.

  • Hungary’s Bakonykarszt Rt.

    BAKONYKARSZT RT., THE REGIONAL WATER COMPANY supplying the Hungarian county of Veszprém, is typical of many central and eastern European utilities struggling to find the financial resources necessary for operation and development.

  • Industrial outsourcing deal for Krüger

    KRÜGER, THE DANISH SUBSIDIARY OF VIVENDI WATER, has won an €18.5 million turnkey contract to install a water treatment system in Borregaard Industries’ main plant at Sarpsborg in Norway. Borregaard Industries is one of Norway’s largest chemical companies.

  • Libyan help for Disi-Amman conveyor

    THE JORDANIAN MINISTER OF WATER, Hazim El-Naser, has said that a Libyan group – the Libyan External Investment Company – has expressed an interest in taking part in the Disi-Mudawara to Amman water conveyor by taking a 15-20% stake in the project.

  • Paraná starts second stage of Paranasan

    PARANÁ STATE GOVERNOR JAIME LERNER, historically one of Brazil’s leading exponents of urban renewal and environmental protection, has authorised work to almost double water supplies and increase sewage collection from 65% to 90% in the metropolitan area of the state capital, Curitiba.

  • PMS Halle wins Turkish contract

    THE PUBLIC SERVICES MANAGEMENT COMPANY (PMS) based in the German city of Halle has won a six-month contract to secure operation, train personnel and organise supply management for a WwTP in the Turkish town of Isparta.

  • Ras power and water purchase agreement signed

    THE PROJECT AGREEMENTS FOR QATAR’S RAS LAFFAN IWPP were signed in Doha at the end of last month. The suite of agreements includes a 25-year power and water purchase agreement between Kahramaa, the off-taker of power and water, and the new joint venture company, Ras Laffan Power Company (RLPC).

  • Royal opening for Jordan’s Tannur dam

    IN AN OFFICIAL OPENING CEREMONY LAST MONTH, King Abdullah inaugurated the Tannur dam on Wadi Al-Hasa in the Southern Ghors region of Jordan.

  • Shuweihat financing slips

    PROJECT FINANCING OF ABU DHABI’S SHUWEIHAT IWPP is not progressing as smoothly as anticipated. The original financial closing date was 22 October but it is uncertain if the deal will close before the start of the Holy month of Ramadan.

  • Water privatisation – SVS/SèVK

    MOST OF THE WATER SECTOR IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC is privatised in some way. Vivendi, Ondeo and Anglian Water operate the majority of the companies created under the mixed operating company approach. In most cases, the municipalities have retained a share in these companies.

  • Zagreb wastewater nears financial close

    Financing for the Zagreb WwTP is expected to close soon according to the EBRD. The borrower is Zagrebačke Otpadne Vode (ZOV), a special purpose Croatian company owned by the project sponsors – a consortium of SHW Hölter Wassertechnik (a fully owned Berlinwasser group subsidiary), RWE Aqua and the local Vodoprivreda Zagreb.

Performer of the month