Sphere
#36
2014
16
Hutchison’s Water Play
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really proud to have been able to raise the
financing for this project, and to do it in a
way which really takes into account the
financial strength of the Group,” explains
Ronen Wolfman, CFO of Hutchison Water.
The combination of advanced technology
capabilities and international financial nous
meant that the joint venture could deliver a
low-cost and efficient, high-quality project.
“It all boils down to a lower price for Israeli
consumers,” says Dr Eldar.
Quenching more than thirst
While the SDP has been touted as a
technological marvel and a financial
success, it provides more than a supply of
clean water. By producing clean, potable
water through desalination, Israel produces
more than half of the drinking water it
needs and is able to, and does, provide
water to its neighbours. Dr Eldar explains
that by addressing demand arising from
water scarcity, SDP had “demonstrated
that water can be produced at a very
attractive price, and, rather than creating
regional strife and tensions, water
supply can be a foundation for regional
cooperation.”
The future
Dr Eldar hopes to replicate the Sorek
project in other parts of the world. “We
are now the builders and operators of
one of the world’s largest desalination
plants and that puts us in a very good
position to win additional contracts
in the water space.” Mr Cohen sets
out his expectations, saying, “The
proven success of Hutchison Water
in building and operating one of the
world’s largest desalination plants gives
us an opportunity to further grow our
desalination business in other areas of the
world, building upon the technology and
know-how of the Group, as well as upon
the Group’s financial strength.”
While Hutchison Water is using new
technologies to provide water in the desert,
Northumbrian Water Group (NWG) is
using decades of expertise to bring clean
water to the people of Britain – and then
carry it away again.
Feast or famine – water and
waste management in the UK
From the deserts of the Middle East
to Europe’s wet north-east, HWL is
managing water in ways that reflect the
diverse environments in which the Group
works. In the rainy north-east of England,
desalination is not required. There, the
challenge is to hold water, make it pure,
and ensure it reaches the sea without
putting houses underwater en route.
The English trio
NWG has three operations in the UK.
Each has unique characteristics and
separate systems, making them almost
as distinct from each other as they are
from Sorek.
• Northumbrian Water is the original, and
largest of the operations. It supplies
potable water and manages waste
water disposal and run-off. This means
managing waterway contamination and
flooding arising from man-made causes,
extreme weather and possible future
climate change effects.
