The WABAG Group, headquartered in Chennai, India, has been awarded a Rs 4,400-crore (US$599 million) seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) project in Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state, as part of a joint venture with Metito Overseas, reports India Times.

Once completed, it will be the largest seawater desalination project in Southeast Asia with a total capacity of 400 MLD (million litres per day) and will be implemented on a design, build, operate (DBO) model.

In a statement released by the company on Friday, WABAG informed that it had won “a seawater reverse osmosis project from Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board. The Rs 4,400-crore is South East Asia’s largest ever sea water desalination with a capacity of 400 MLD project funded by JICA.”

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will fund the project with the aim to strengthen Chennai and the state’s water security.

The landmark project for WABAG will be built over a period of 42 months followed by 20 years of operation and maintenance (O&M) by WABAG. The contract includes the design, engineering, procurement, construction, installation, testing and commissioning of the 400 MLD (million litres day) SWRO desalination plant and the associated seawater intake system.

“WABAG has won this order against the global competition… This puts WABAG on an inclined growth path for the future,” said Shailesh Kumar, CEO of India Cluster, WABAG.

Source: Smart Water Magazine