Meridiam selected preferred bidder for a critical water infrastructure asset in Jordan

• Fresh and potable water delivered to more than 3 million people annually
• 30-year concession contract

Meridiam has been selected as the preferred bidder by the Government of Jordan for the Aqaba Amman water desalination and conveyance project. The Meridiam-led project team includes global and regional partners Orascom Construction, VINCI Construction Grands Projets and SUEZ.

This critical infrastructure, which includes one of the world’s largest desalination plants, will supply over 300 million cubic meters of drinking water per year to communities in Amman and Aqaba. It is considered a national priority to ensure the country’s water security and address the growing chronic deficit in the water sector. The project will also include approximately 445 km of pipelines to transport the desalinated water from the Red Sea.

Thierry Déau, Founder and CEO of Meridiam, said: “We are grateful and proud to have been selected, together with our partners, to deliver water to Jordan. This essential, transformative and landmark project will provide a reliable and long-term sustainable solution to Jordan’s water challenges. It will make a significant contribution to meeting the critical daily fresh and potable water needs of the Jordanian people.”

Jordan is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world with its population facing absolute water scarcity according to the United Nations. Jordan’s water is used by three main sectors (agricultural, domestic and industrial), which together consume nearly one billion cubic metres per year^[1]. The domestic sector (rural and urban households) consumes about 50% of this total^[2], with only 90 cubic meters of water available per person per year¹. This project will increase the total annual available domestic water supply by almost 60%, meeting the minimum daily quantity needs of water for drinking of more than 3 million people per year[3], according to the World Health Organization.

This 30-year concession agreement reinforces Meridiam’s pioneering position as a long-term partner and investor in Jordan, where it has been a shareholder in Amman Airport since 2018. Meridiam also has a track record of investing in the water and wastewater sector globally. In 2021, it led a consortium that acquired SUEZ, including its water operations in France and international assets in Italy, Central Europe, Africa, Central Asia, India, China and Australia. Most recently, Meridiam completed the Laguna Water Supply Project in Texas, which provides water to communities in Central Texas, USA, under a 30-year water supply agreement.

In addition to Meridiam’s track record, the consortium has unparalleled expertise. SUEZ is a world leader in water and waste management, having designed and built more than 12,500 water and wastewater treatment plants worldwide, including more than 260 desalination plants. VINCI Construction Grands Projets designs and builds highly complex civil engineering structures, particularly in the energy, hydraulics and environment, building and transport sectors. Orascom Construction is a leading engineering, construction and concessions company in the Middle East, Africa and USA, with extensive expertise in the infrastructure and industrial sectors, and a track record of water, desalination and wastewater treatment plants completed and under construction with a total capacity of approximately 17 million m³/day.

This critical project for Jordan is benefiting from global support and partnerships. In particular, it is supported by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and the U.S. Agency for International Development in Amman, Jordan (USAID), which has been advising the Jordanian government.

Sources:

[1]  https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/jordan-environment-and-water-sector#:~:text=Jordan’s%20water%20is%20utilized%20by,municipal%2Fdomestic%20and%20industrial%20sectors.

[2] https://water.fanack.com/jordan/water-use-in-jordan/

[3] https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/338044/9789240015241-eng.pdf (Page 11)