El Alamein Desalinization Plant
New Alamein City, Egypt
Award of Merit
Owner: Ministry of Defence of the Government of Egypt
Lead Design Firm: Aqualia-FCC Construcción
General Contractor: Aqualia
To bring Egypt’s largest desalinization plant from concept to commissioning in just 30 months, the project team was challenged to coordinate and synchronize shipments of construction materials and advanced water-treatment equipment from a worldwide network of suppliers. Despite these and other complexities, neither project quality nor safety were compromised. Workers logged more than 2.7 million hours without an accident or the need for medical leave. Now operational, the new plant produces 150,000 cu m of high-quality drinking water using 10 high-efficiency reverse osmosis units and an environmentally conscious brine-disposal system. In an area where water is a scarce but strategic resource, the new plant promises to play a key role in fostering development of new industries, including an increase in tourism.
