Egis awarded EPCM contract for rehabilitation of Al Karaana lagoon in Qatar

The Public Works Authority of Qatar, Ashgal, has awarded the international project engineering group Egis an engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contract to rehabilitate the Al Karaana lagoon. Located in the Al Rayyan region, west of Doha, the lagoon covers more than four square kilometres and is causing serious environmental concerns.

Nearly 60,000 cubic metres of untreated wastewater per day is discharged onto this site by tanker, most notably causing the contamination of the water table by infiltration, producing foul odours and creating safety risks connected with the transport of sewage. Ashgal wants the lagoon eradicated and its site comprehensively rehabilitated.

Teams from Egis will be tasked with assessing the lagoon’s waters and sludge to appreciate the contamination of the water table and evacuate this waste to appropriate treatment facilities. They will carry out the design of the wastewater treatment and the soil and water table decontamination, write the tender documentation, perform the design review of the plans and documents submitted by the selected contractor, and finally supervise the works.

Egis will consequently be mobilising all of its engineering capabilities for a period of 23 months to reduce the environmental impact of this site to a minimum, then redevelop it and convert it for new uses, in accordance with its sustainable development commitments.

This new contract follows another awarded several weeks ago, also in the water sector: the extension of the Doha West waste water treatment and recycling plant. The company says the contract further bolsters Egis’ position in Qatar, where the group generated almost €33 million of turnover in 2014 from its contributions to a large number of infrastructure projects.