Vol 2, Issue 9 (September 2001)

Analysis

• A word from the Editor…

  Welcome to September’s Global Water Intelligence. In this month’s issue, we feature Jordan’s Disi project, a scheme for which feasibility, design and tender documents were completed nearly five years ago.

General

• Algeria calls Arzew bids

  THE NEWLY CREATED Algerian Energy Company (AEC) has invited international companies to bid for the EPC phase of the long-delayed IWPP at Arzew in Algeria.

• Brazil: draft water law update

  It would appear that Brazil is no nearer reaching a consensus on reforming the basic sanitation sector.

• Casan shares to go on sale

  A 13% STAKE in Brazil’s Santa Catarina state water company, Companhia Catarinense de Águas e Saneamento (Casan), is to be auctioned on the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange (Bovespa) by 14 Septembe

• Embasa sale update

  BRAZIL’S BAHIA STATE GOVERNMENT government is confident that the sale of its water company, Embasa will go ahead by the end of this year.

• Enel gives up on Southern Water

  Scottish Power continues to seek a buyer for its Southern Water subsidiary, despite Enel’s decision to withdraw its interest.

• Hamburg Water quits BGW

  THE HAMBURG WATER UTILITY, Hamburger Wasserwerke (HWW) is leaving the German federal association of the gas and water industry, BGW (Bundesverband der Deutschen Gasund Wasserwirtschaft) at the end of the year in protest against the “lack of support for the water sector within the organisation.”

• Jordan asks for Disi prequalifications

  The Government of Jordan has decided to go ahead with one of its foremost water projects without financial contributions from neighbouring Arab states or funding pledges from donor institutions such as the World Bank.

• Kemira acquires Italian production plant

  FINNISH CHEMICALS GROUP KEMIRA has acquired the ferric chloride production facility operated by Italian company Ageco in Cremona.

• Lema – the first two years

  LEMA – THE ONDEO/MONTGOMERY WATSON ARABTECH JARDANEH CONSORTIUM – has a four-year management contract for water and wastewater services covering the Amman and Zai governorates, an area of 3000km² and two million people.

• Seven for Puerto Rico

  Statements of qualification (SoQs) have been received from seven companies for a management contract to run the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (Prasa). Prasa provides water services to around 3.9 million people in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States.

• SNC Lavalin to carry out GMMR repair work

  CANADA’S SNC LAVALIN has been awarded a $37.5 million contract to restore a 26km pipeline section on Libya’s Great Man-made River (GMMR) project.

• Vivendi wins Ashkelon tender

  VIVENDI WATER and the Israeli groups, IDE and Dankner El-Ran Infrastructure are to build the seawater desalination plant at Ashkelon on Israel’s Mediterranean coast.

Companies

• Kelda buys American Water subsidiaries

  Kelda’s US subsidiary Aquarion has acquired five American Water Works subsidiaries in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and New Hampshire. Four of the companies are water supply businesses serving a total of 177,000 people while the fifth, a finance company, owns and leases assets.

• RWE considering Gelsenwasser too

  RWE HAS ALSO REPORTEDLY set its sights on a takeover of Gelsenwasser, part of the Eon Group.

• RWE giving nothing away

  RWE remains tight-lipped over rumours that it was close to acquiring American Water Works, the largest investor owned water utility in the US, for €3.9 billion ($3.6 billion) at the end of August.

Market insight

• Project Aquatrine deal profile

  Aquatrine project leader Stephen Jones reviews the background, status and future timetable of the Ministry of Defence’s GB-wide water and sewerage PFI scheme.

Performer of the month

• Mixed reaction to US economic slowdown

  August was a rocky ride for US markets. Despite a mid-month interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve, markets plummeted during the final days of August.