Construction works on the drinking water plant in Abidjan, Ivory Coast is set to commence. This is after American company Fluence announced it has completed financing for the project. The plant will be located near the city of Abidjan.
Fluence who also won the contract to design, supply and build (EPC), will construct an intake in the lagoon, as well as a pipeline to carry the water to the treatment plant.
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Largest fresh water reserve
The treated water will be pumped into the Aghien Lagoon. This will be the largest freshwater reserve in the country and is located 73km south-east of Abidjan city. It will have a capacity of 150,000 m³ per day. The treated water will then pass through water towers before being conveyed through the supply network to homes. The project will be delivered on a turnkey basis and is scheduled for completion within the next 24 months.
According to Henry Charrabé, Managing Director of Fluence, the cooperation with teams from the country’s Ministry of finance and the Ministry of Hydraulics, as well as with the Israeli Export Credit Agency (Ashra) and Israel Discount Bank (IDB) who also chipped in with funds, enabled them to achieve this goal.
Rapid population growth, increasing urbanization and climate change have made it more difficult to supply water in Abidjan the country’s economic capital, and led to chronic shortages, residents and experts say.
Climate change has led to a fall of around 10% to 20% in rainfall, resulting the underground water reserves that the cities relies reducing in levels. This project will help reduce water loss and increase water access in the poorest communities in Abidjan.
