CHENNAI: Chennai-headquartered VA Tech Wabag, a water technology company, secured a seawater desalination project with a capacity of 400 million litres per day (MLD) from the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB).
The company will design, build and operate a seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination project worth about Rs 4,400 crore, the company said in a statement. It will be funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Wabag will build the plant and the associated seawater intake system over 42 months and operate and maintain it for 20 years. The company has formed a joint venture with Metito Overseas. The desalination process will include reverse osmosis and remineralisation to produce drinking water, which will be distributed by CMWSSB to residents of South Chennai.
This will be the largest desalination plant in Southeast Asia and make Chennai the desalination capital of India with 750 MLD water produced along the coast, the statement read. Shailesh Kumar, chief executive of the India Cluster said, “This is historically the largest ever order for Wabag. I’m also elated that this landmark order coincides with Wabag being ranked third globally among private water operators and in the top 10 desalination players globally by GWI.”