Qatar water plant to be built by Japan, Thai team

A consortium consisting of Japan-based Mitsubishi and Thailand’s Toyo Thai Engineering Co. has received a contract from the Qatar Electricity and Water Co. (QEWC) to build a $502 million water treatment plant at Ras Abu Fontas. The plant, which will have the capacity to treat 36 million gallons of water per day, will be a significant addition to the water supply in Qatar, where water consumption is reportedly increasing a rate of about 10% per year. Fahad al-Mohannadi, general manager of QEWC, cited the previous success of Japanese firms in building major capital projects as a factor in the selection of Mitsubishi and Toyo Thai. “One of the prominent examples of Japanese success in the utilities sector is the 2,742 MW Ras Girtas Power and Water Project, which is one of the largest of its kind in the entire Middle East and North African  region,” he noted. The plant is expected to be completed during the first half of 2015.