Egypt builds the world’s biggest agricultural drainage treatment plant
The one million cu. m. per day plant will contribute to the cultivation of 70,000 acres in Sinai, Egypt
HE President AbdelFattah El Sisi officially inaugurated the Al Mahsamma agricultural drainage treatment, recycling and reuse plant in Egypt’s Ismailia Governorate on Thursday. Worth about $100 million, the project is the largest of its kind in the world.
With a capacity of one million cu. m. per day, built on an area of 42,000 sqm., the project has been developed by a joint venture (JV) comprised of Metito and Hassan Allam Construction under the supervision of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority. The JV’s scope of work includes engineering, construction, operation, commissioning and operation and maintenance for a period of five years.
According to a statement from Metito, Al Mahsamma is part of Egypt’s progressive and multipronged approach to ensure the country’s water security through wastewater treatment, desalination, and preservation of natural water resources. The plant’s daily capacity will contribute to the conservation of the natural ecology of the Al Temsah Lake, located west of the Suez Canal, which has been impacted by wastewater disposal, it added.
Commenting on the official inauguration, Eng Karim Madwar, MD at Metito Africa said: “Metito is honoured to play its part in this world-class mega national project located in the highly strategic east of the Suez Canal area. In this project, we make use of the latest technologies for the treatment of agricultural drainage to produce suitable water for irrigation and land reclamation, following the highest quality standard and specs set by the Egyptian government.”
He stated that the IT system used for the project aims to monitor the effectiveness of the site operations and to ensure the quality of water remains compliant with industry standard and client specifications.
Metito said in the statement that the plant will contribute to the irrigation of 70,000 acres of land in the Sinai, as part of the government’s efforts to develop the region by creating sustainable urban communities and job opportunities in the area.
Meanwhile, Hassan Allam, chairman at Hassan Allam Construction, said that they are extremely proud to have been selected to contribute to the development of a project of such strategic importance.
“We have been able to complete the project in a fast track record of ten months, amounting to 2.5 million man hours with no injuries or time lost – a testament to the state’s confidence in our capabilities,” he added.
The Al Mahsamma project marks a significant achievement for the Egyptian government and the wider African region, demonstrating sustained commitment to development in the water sector, Metito added in the statement.
