Opportunity
Jordan’s Ministry of Water and Irrigation turned to the private sector for support and the delivery of a modern full-scale wastewater treatment system. Affordability was a real issue so innovative financing was needed to realise the scheme.
Solution
The facility, with a throughput capacity of nearly 360,000m³ per day, provides full wastewater treatment and biosolids management and achieves 75% energy recovery. Delivered through a design, build, finance and operate (DBFO) contract, the Samra Project Company will operate the plant for 20 years with full responsibility for asset management and driving down whole-life costs.
We provided technical and commercial due diligence to the lenders to achieve successful financial close of this complex project, which involved viability gap funding, followed by construction assurance and operation monitoring services.
Outcome
The project has delivered multiple environmental benefits by reducing odours and pollution at the treatment plant, tanker reception centre and satellite pumping stations. Treated water is being used by local farmers with the remainder safely discharged into the Zarqa River. The power requirements of intensive wastewater treatment have been minimised by installing hydropower turbines and generators that run on gas recovered from treated biosolids. This private public partnership model has attracted the interest of local stakeholders and international funders as a template for delivering similar infrastructure projects – in Jordan and around the world – that lead to more efficient, more resilient utility services and a cleaner, healthier environment.