Egypt is planning to invite bids for three public-private partnership (PPP) projects with a total estimated investment cost of $165 million before the end of the year.

The PPP projects include a wastewater treatment facility, advanced language schools and a first-of-its kind Investors Services Centre.

6th of October Wastewater Treatment Plant

The invitation to bid for a 150,000 cubic metres per day (m3/day) capacity wastewater treatment plant in 6th of October City is expected to be issued next week, according to Atter Hannoura, Director, PPP Central Unit, Ministry of Finance, Egypt.

The $95 million tertiary wastewater treatment plant forms the third phase of 6th of October City wastewater treatment project, and will be implemented on design, build, finance and operate (DBOF) basis. The project’s concession period is 20 years.

“Next week, we will be giving the tender documents to the qualified bidders, and we expect to sign the contract by January 2025,” said Hannoura while speaking at PPP MENA Forum in Dubai on Tuesday.

The prequalification invite was issued on 1 November 2023 with a submission deadline of 12 February 2024. Six local and international companies submitted prequalification applications out of which five were prequalified.

Investors Services Centre

The first-of-its-kind project involves financing, designing, building, utilising, and maintaining a 9-storey Investors Services Centre in Shaa El Tebaan, Madi. This new facility, covering 5,000 square metres (sqm) will cater to the 1,600 small, medium, and large factories and workshops in the area, specialising in marble and granite. The centre will provide a range of essential services, including finance and banking, shipping, health and emergency facilities, showrooms, conference areas, meeting rooms, administrative units, postal services, and a real estate office.

Hannoura said the project will be tendered in the fourth quarter.

“We have already started the pre-qualification process and are doing some amendments of the project’s structure. It will be tendered by the end of October.”

The project, with an estimated investment cost of $10 million, has a concession period of 25 years.

Phase 2 of PPP schools programme

The invitation to tender for the second phase of the PPP schools programme will be issued in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to Hannoura’s presentation.

The second phase involves financing, designing, building, equipping, operating, and maintaining advanced language schools for 22 schools in various governorates with an estimated investment cost of $60 million, according to the official’s presentation.

Sixteen consortia/companies have been prequalified for the project, which has a 30-year concession contract.

“We have finished the draft contract for the second phase, which was amended from the previous tender,” said Hannoura, adding that the first phase was successfully operationalised three years ago.

(Editing by Anoop Menon) (anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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