WSC issues tender for second reverse osmosis plant

The Water Services Corporation (WSC) has issued a public tender for a new reverse osmosis plant at Għar Lapsi as part of its investment in Malta’s water infrastructure.

The tender, valued at €35 million excluding VAT, covers the design, construction, commissioning and transfer of a second reverse osmosis plant at Għar Lapsi.

The new plant will consist of six reverse osmosis systems with a combined production capacity of 30,000 cubic metres of potable water per day. It will also incorporate energy recovery devices to capture energy from the high-pressure reject stream, reducing the plant’s overall energy demand.

The project involves the construction of a new “Plant B” within the existing reverse osmosis facility at Għar Lapsi. The WSC said the existing facility will remain fully operational throughout the construction and commissioning period.

The tender provides for an overall contract duration of 150 weeks. The first three of the six reverse osmosis systems must be commissioned within 125 weeks of the contract being signed, with the remaining three to be commissioned within the following 25 weeks.

The tender forms part of the WSC’s National Investment Plan, which will see more than €400 million invested in Malta’s water infrastructure over the next decade.

The Għar Lapsi project also forms part of a wider programme aimed at increasing Malta’s freshwater production capacity by approximately 81,000 cubic metres per day.

Similar tenders are planned for Pembroke and the south of Malta, the WSC said.

“The tender reflects our commitment to expanding Malta’s water production capacity, as part of WSC’s National Investment Plan,” WSC CEO Karl Cilia concluded.

Interested economic operators can find further information and the full tender documentation on the government’s eTenders platform.