May 21 2012 |
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'Master developer to be announced later this year'
By Hana Namrouqa AMMAN -- The Ministry of Water and Irrigation is evaluating proposals submitted by bidders to serve as the master developer of the Jordan Red Sea Project (JRSP), a government official said on Sunday.International firms submitted proposals last month, and the JRSP technical steering committee is studying the plans, Ministry of Water and Irrigation Assistant Secretary General and Spokesperson Adnan Zu'bi told The Jordan Times.
"The committee is expected to finish the evaluation process within two months, while the name of the winning bidder will be announced later this year, perhaps in September," Zu'bi said.
"The JRSP steering committee will either select the company with the best proposal or ask the two companies to implement the project as a consortium," Zu'bi underlined.
The JRSP is projected to supply the Kingdom with around one billion cubic metres of water annually by 2022, with implementation expected to start early next year.
Under the first phase of the project, water will be conveyed from the Red Sea through pipelines to a desalination facility that will be built in Aqaba. Water generated from the plant will be distributed to the port city and surrounding development projects.
The project entails extracting 2,150 million cubic metres (mcm) of water from the Red Sea every year; 930mcm will be desalinated and 1,220mcm will be channelled into the shrinking Dead Sea. In addition, 180 megawatts of electricity will be generated by projected hydropower stations.
In addition to providing much needed water, the JRSP includes an economic development programme that entails the establishment of gated communities, resorts, industries and other projects, according to the ministry.
© Jordan Times 2012
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