VINCI Construction Grands Projects, a construction engineering subsidiary of French concessions and construction company VINCI, has been selected by Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority to build a $200m water treatment plant in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Under the terms of the contract, VINCI will be responsible for the design and construction of the Bakheng water treatment plant on the northern outskirts of the Cambodian capital.
The $155m initial phase of the project includes the construction of a first treatment line with 195,000m³ capacity per day and the intake in the Mekong River with a capacity of 390,000m³ per day.
The construction engineering firm will also build two 1.4m diameter pipelines with a length of 1.5km to carry water from the Mekong River to the water treatment facility.
A 2m diameter pipeline with a length of 7.8 km, including a 630m river crossing, will also be built using a microtunnelling machine to bring drinking water to over 500,000 inhabitants of the capital city.
The $45m second conditional works phase is designed to double the plant’s treatment capacity to 390,000m³ per day.
To reduce its carbon footprint, the Bakheng water treatment plant will use solar panels for some of its electricity needs.
The French Development Agency, the European Investment Bank and the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority are co-financing the facility, which is expected to employ more than 500 local workers and supervisory personnel at the peak of construction.
The contract has also provided $45m for the second conditional works phase, which is designed to double the plant’s treatment capacity to 390,000m³ per day.
Upon completion, the project is expected to provide drinking water for a population of nearly one million.
Previously, VINCI Construction Grands Projets has delivered Niroth drinking water plant on the outskirts of Phnom Penh and the wastewater treatment plants at the Phnom Penh and Siem Reap airports in 2017.