Singapore’s Keppel Seghers has kicked off construction of the Doha North sewage treatment works in Qatar, marking the occasion with a foundation unveiling ceremony. The firm has also announced its intention to build an eco-park at the site.
The foundation stone was unveiled by Zayed Mansour Al-Khayarin, CEO of Ashghal, Qatar’s Public Works Authority, which awarded the QR3.6 billion (US$1.5 billion) design-build-operate contract for the facility in September last year. Under the deal, Keppel Seghers will run and maintain the plant for 10 years, following its startup in 2010.
With a peak capacity of 439,000³ per day, the treatment works is set to become the largest such facility in Qatar and the Middle East, according to the Singaporean firm.
The project also includes construction of Qatar’s first sludge treatment unit, which will handle slurry from wastewater treatment plants throughout the country. The treated sludge will be used as an organic fertilizer or as a supplementary green source of energy.
Keppel Seghers also plans to transform and enhance the area around the sewage works, creating an eco-park, which will be irrigated with treated water from the plant. The facility is to be fitted with advanced odour control systems to minimise its impact on surrounding communities.
Meanwhile, Keppel Seghers’ parent company, Keppel Corp., has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Qatar Investment Authority, allowing it to become an equity investor in the Singapore consortium behind the Tianjin eco-city to be built in northeast China.
Lim Chee Onn, executive chairman, Keppel Corp., said: “The eco-city is envisioned to be a thriving, self-sustainable development that integrates society, the economy and the environment harmoniously to create an optimal setting for ‘live-work-play’.
“It will serve as a model of sustainable development that is practical, replicable and scalable with many opportunities for international collaboration, drawing together world-class organisations to build green communities for the future.
“We are very pleased that the Qatar Investment Authority, our first partner in the Singapore consortium, has accepted the invitation to participate in this landmark project.”
