Vol 5, Issue 4 (April 2004)
Need to know
- AMERICAN WRANGLING
The Terra Grande deal won't do much to make up for the potential loss of its million a year Jersey City contract.
- CHINESE DEALS
China's water sector has been brought into focus after the country's 2003 GDP figures were released.
- EUROPEAN RESTRUCTURING
Elsewhere within Thames, the company’s offices in Paris, Milan and Rome have been closed, as the company focuses on its US, UK, German and East European operations.
- GERMAN COMMUNALISM
More worrying from a strategic point of view was Veolia’s failure to secure an interest in Germany’s Gelsenwasser.
- GOOD DEALS
On the positive side, Veolia did report a $123 million 20-year DBO deal in the US Virgin Islands for two 15,000m<sup>3</sup>/d wastewater treatment plants.
- INVESTMENT REQUIREMENT
Paying more for water is going to be a fact of life in the Arab world over the next two decades.
- IONICS RESULTS
Results for 2003 from Ionics showed revenues up 8.8% to $347m, but the loss from continuing operations before interest and tax rising from $1.9 million to $39.4 million.
- THE UK SCENE
In Britain, the government warned of “significant real price rises” to enable water companies to meet their quality targets.
Analysis
- Levantine finance
Algerian risks are a specialists taste.
- The BOOT in the door
Investment in the water sector is becoming unavoidable. BOOT is booming.
- Wish you were here
Is it healthy to want to work in Iraq?
General
- ATOs get to grips with Galli Law
Progress is being made but recent legislative changes have resulted in more court cases and disputes at the local level.
- Demerger puts South Staffs in play
The options for the water-only firm seem to be more leverage or Severn Trent.
- Desal wins out in Spanish elections
The Ebro water transfer scheme looks dead in the water after the socialist victory in Spain. GWI’s Richard Weydling talks to the new environment minister.
- Desalination primed for take-off
A new market report looks at the outlook for the fastest growing sector of the water industry.
- Dexia unlocks Mexican debt market
The New York branch of the French bank has been leading the way in innovative finance for the Mexican municipal sector. A local currency pooled fund is its latest big idea.
- Financial buyers queue for PFI stakes
The secondary market for investments in Scotland’s wastewater BOOT projects has come alive. UK correspondent Andrew Cavenagh looks at who is trading.
- Insight - David Lloyd Owen
Iraq needs to build up its capacity before looking for private sector involvement.
- Iraq awards water/wastewater contracts
The CPA has appointed a series of contractors to handle its reconstruction programme.
- Israel’s desal plans “shaky”
The National Desalination Plan is being held up by money worries. Israel correspondent Aaron Priel reports.
- Italy: survey exposes wastewater woes
Sewage treatment in Italy is below par. A large number of plants do not treat wastewater to EU standards and compliance with a 2005 European Commission deadline remains a distant prospect.
- MEPs reject water liberalisation strategy
It looks as if the private sector will not be able to rely on the EU to force water privatisation across the continent. The decision is welcomed in Germany.
- New directions in California
The Golden State is home to some of the fiercest critics of private water. Larry Chertoff looks at how two investor-owned utilities have innovated to find growth.
- PPP solution to Chennai water crisis
After the Tirupur deal, India’s Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services is moving on to bigger things in the water sector. Can it pull off a $300 million desalination plant financing?
- Sabesp returns to profit in 2003
Lower foreign currency debt and stronger customer revenues make the difference for Latin America’s largest water company.
- San Diego threatens to block desal cash
Poseidon’s private desalination plants are meeting tough opposition from Californian public bodies. Will the governor’s support be enough to win through?
- Spaniards claim Skikda desal project
The Geida consortium was the low bidder last month. Its offer was based on a price of $0.74/m<sup>3</sup> of desalinated water.
- Taweelah experiences small delay
But things should be back on track by June.
- Veolia squeezed by German communal model
It has been a bad year so far for Veolia in Germany: its Dresden bid wasn’t even considered and now it has lost Gelsenwasser. What has gone wrong?










