Va Tech Wabag, a leading player in the water technology space, has bagged a design, build, operate (DBO) order from the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board for building 400 million litres per day (mld) seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant at a total cost of about INR 4,400 crore.
The new plant will cater to the drinking water needs of the entire Chennai city, including added areas like Tambaram and Pallavaram. Chennai’s estimated total need of 750 mld will be served. The project has been funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica). It seeks to improve Chennai’s water security through a stable source of drinking water through desalination. Wabag will execute the project in a joint venture with Metito Overseas. Once completed, the project will be the largest desalination plant in South-East Asia.
The new plant will come up at Perur near Nemeli on the East Coast Road where 110 mld desalination and 200 mld plants are under construction. With the 400 mld SWRO desalination plant, Wabag will be responsible for about 70 per cent of Chennai’s water production through desalination units.