Paris-based Veolia Water has been awarded the contract for operation and maintenance of industrial wastewater treatment plant at Sipchem’s Acetyl Complex in Saudi Arabia.

Sipchem is a company specialized in the production of basic and intermediate chemicals used to manufacture a multitude of products.

The five year-contract represents an estimated total turnover of 6.5 million euros ($8.61 million) for Veolia Water, a division of Veolia Environnement, the leader in water and wastewater services, said a company official.

The Acetyls Complex consists of three production units (carbon monoxide, acetic acid and monomer of vinyl), the various effluents of which are steered towards an industrial wastewater treatment plant, under construction.

Veolia Water will be responsible for the takeover and the starting-up of the different treatment units, and then the operation of the complex facilities capable of treating 21 types of different polluted flows.

The treatment plant includes a sulfates removal unit, associated with a bio-treatment and a carbonates removal unit, with the treatment of the sludge resulting from the various stages.

'The commitment which we have just concluded with Sipchem represents the first industrial operation contract gained by Veolia Water, which already covers the design, build and operate market in the Middle East via the subsidiary Veolia Water Solutions and Technologies,' Antoine Frerot, CEO of Veolia Water.

'This success confirms the Veolia expertise for operation of complex facilities for industrial companies with high levels of expectation. It bears witness of our capacity to offer outstanding and competitive solutions,' he added.

Specialized in outsourcing services for municipal authorities, as well as industrial and service companies, Veolia Water is also one of the world's major designers of technological solutions and constructor of facilities needed in water and wastewater services.

With 82,800 employees, worldwide, Veolia Water provides water services to 78 million people and wastewater services to 53 million. Its 2007 revenues amounted to €10.9 billion.-TradeArabia News Service