The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), the public utility board in charge of potable and municipal wastewater management for the city of Mumbai, India, has awarded SUEZ a contract for an amount of €700 million to design, build and operate (DBO) 500 MLD capacity Wastewater Treatment Facility at Worli, Mumbai, to serve a population equivalent of 2.5 million.
SUEZ claims that the contract award is “the most important in terms of value” that the company has ever won in India.
According to the company as well, the treated effluent is expected to comply with the most stringent quality standards “for the first time in the city of Mumbai”, mandated by the National Green Tribunal of India for effluent disposal in water bodies. Biosolids are expected to comply with US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) class-A biosolids classification for safe land disposal, and up to 50% of the treated effluent will be further treated for non-potable reuse.
SUEZ’s technologies and plant design is expected to deliver these outcomes while using 50% less available space than normally required and keeping the existing systems operational, until the new modern systems come online.
The project features several of SUEZ’s in-house wastewater technologies – DENSADEG high-rate clarifier, ULTRAFOR membrane bio-reactor (MBR), Drainis GDE mechanical sludge thickener, DIGELIS BH, boosted digestion of sludge technology and AZURAIR odour control unit. The biogas produced in digestors will be used for onsite production of up to 39GWh per year of green electric energy. This is expected to make the plant up to 75% energy self-sufficient. Moreover, the use of chlorine-free discharge of treated effluent in the Arabian Sea will further safeguard the aquatic and marine ecology.
The total duration of the contract is 20 years, comprising of five-year period for design and build, followed by a 15-year period for facility operations and maintenance.
Sabrina Soussan, CEO of SUEZ, stated that: “The long-standing partnership between MCGM and SUEZ spans over four decades. It rests on SUEZ’s consistent contractual performances and shared commitment towards access to water services and the ecological transition. The contract for WORLI wastewater treatment facility is a mark of trust MCGM has in SUEZ’s ability to deliver the advanced treatment solutions, meeting the stringent statutory standards. Beyond that, this contract award illustrates our progress towards a diversified and geographically balanced business which is at the heart of our new strategic roadmap I have announced today.”
