Public-Private Partnership Stories Egypt: New Cairo Wastewater Photo © Yann Camus/ iStockphoto Egypt’s first public-private partnership will have a major impact on the quality of basic services in a satellite city on the outskirts of Cairo. With IFC’s help, the govern- ment has awarded a land-mark concession for a wastewater treatment facility that will improve sanitation services in New Cairo, as well as accommodate projected population growth. The project was awarded in June 2009. A consortium of Egypt’s Orascom Construction Industries and Spain’s Aqualia (Orasqualia) won the bid for a public-private partnership (PPP) to build, operate and transfer (BOT) a 250,000 m³/day treatment plant, which is expected to mobilize private investments totaling $150–200 million. The government has made the development of New Cairo’s infrastructure a priority because the area’s population is expected to jump from 550,000 to approximately 3 million over the next 20 years. This series provides an overview of public-private partnership stories in various infrastructure sectors, The project was implemented with the financial support of DevCo, a multi-donor facility affiliated with the where IFC was the lead advisor. Private Infrastructure Development Group. DevCo provides critical financial support for important infra- IFC Advisory Services in structure transactions in the poorest countries, helping boost economic growth and combat poverty. DevCo Public-Private Partnerships is funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), the Austrian Development 2121 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Agency, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Swedish International Development Agency, and IFC. Washington D.C. 20433 ifc.org/ppp BACKGROUND The winning bidder was selected on the basis of the lowest NPV of New Cairo City, a satellite town of Greater Cairo, is being the overall Sewage Treatment Charge throughout the concession promoted as one of the new centers to alleviate overcrowding period. Since electricity costs are a pass through item, bidders were in the city center. New Cairo’s current population of 550,000 asked to quote their projected electricity consumption levels to is expected to increase to approximately 3 million by 2029. ensure energy conservation. The estimated electricity costs were The rapid population growth and inadequate water sanitation added to the Sewage Treatment Charge to select the winning infrastructure are placing serious strains on the city’s ability to bidder. provide adequate services. The Egyptian-Spanish consortium submitted the lowest financial The Government has made the expansion and improvement of bid and was awarded the contract in June 2009. New Cairo’s infrastructure a priority. Public-private partnerships are at the heart of the Government’s long-term economic development strategy, together with the mobilization of private EXPECTED POST-TENDER RESULTS sector finance and know-how. • First successful transaction under the Government’s PPP program. IFC’S ROLE The Government appointed IFC as its lead advisor for the • Mobilization of $150–200 million in private structuring of the New Cairo Wastewater Treatment Plant investment. transaction and international competitive tendering. IFC • New wastewater treatment plant will be completed supervised a team of specialized technical, environmental and by January 2012. legal experts who undertook technical, financial, and legal due diligence to recommend the most commercially and technically • Approximately three million people in New Cairo viable transaction structure. IFC also supported the government in will benefit from improved infrastructure and prequalifying potential investors according to established financial better service quality over the life of the project. and technical criteria, drafting bidding documents, selecting the winning bidder, and overseeing the financial closure process. TRANSACTION STRUCTURE The selection process included an initial prequalification of prospective bidders based on financial and technical criteria, such as minimum net worth and experience with BOT projects, especially similar wastewater treatment plants. The government received 10 applications and seven bidders were prequalified. The transaction was structured as a 20-year PPP concession agreement. The private partner will design, finance, construct, operate, and maintain a new wastewater treatment plant with a capacity of 250,000 m³/day. In return, the government will pay a Sewage Treatment Charge that includes a fixed portion to cover the investor’s fixed costs (such as debt servicing and return on equity) and a variable portion based on the actual volume of treated sewage, to cover the investor’s variable costs. In addition, electricity costs will be paid by the New Urban Communities Authority (the offtaker) as a pass-through item. The credit of the New Urban Communities Authority is underpinned by the Ministry of Finance. 02/2010 BIDDING Photo © Curt Carnemark/World Bank The project attracted five bids from consortia comprised of local, regional, and international firms. Bidding was organized in two steps: a technical bid, which was evaluated on a “pass/fail” basis, and a commercial bid, which was limited to those bidders whose technical offers had been accepted.