BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 11. The Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan aims to finalize a public-private partnership (PPP) this year for a pilot project in Sumgayit, focusing on the desalination of seawater at a specialized installation to produce drinking water, Trend reports, referring to the ministry.
"Improving the use of water resources, increasing the availability of drinking water to the population, and incorporating innovative technology in this area are critical for Azerbaijan's socioeconomic development.
The Ministry of Economy has organized a Working Group made up of officials from key ministries and consultants to carry out the head of state's directive to launch a pilot project for desalinating sea water to produce drinking water. This group successfully completed the first step of competitive selection for the implementation of this crucial project, demanding global expertise in the technical, financial, and legal realms," the press release said.
The first round of the competition, which began on February 8 of
this year, focused on obtaining investors for the design,
construction, financing, and operation of a facility dedicated to
generating drinking water by saltwater desalination under a
public-private partnership framework.
This stage involved eight firms, with five picked after a
qualification assessment. The Ministry of Economy has since
supplied this chosen group with a set of terms and conditions for
the next round of competition.
"In the subsequent phase, companies are required to develop and submit proposals by July 1, 2024, following which the Working Group will assess these submissions for the implementation of the pilot project. Following the evaluation of project proposals, the competition winner will be announced, and a public-private partnership agreement will be formalized with the selected entity," the ministry said.
The proposals from bidders should consider factors such as water quality, infrastructure condition, and ecological considerations.
"The projected water desalination facility in Sumgayit is designed to have an annual production capacity of 100 million cubic meters," the report said.
The Ministry of Economy emphasized that, considering the requirements of the population and the economy, along with the outcomes of the country's water forecasts, the demand for drinking water is expected to rise in the upcoming years.
"Several countries worldwide are undertaking projects to produce drinking water through the desalination of seawater. Factors such as global warming, inefficient water resource utilization, and growing droughts globally have driven the extensive adoption of desalination plants for drinking water production. Many countries are executing these projects through a public-private partnership model, a trend particularly prevalent in Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Israel. Azerbaijan is considering global experiences in this regard," the press release says.
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