Islamic Republic of Mauritania
| Loan No: | 523 | Interest Rate: | 3.0 % |
| Beneficiary: | SNDE and SOMELEC | Grace Period: | 6 years |
| Project Cost: | KD 16.7 million | Maturity: | 25 years |
| Amount of Loan: | KD 15.0 million | Repayment: | 39 semi-annual installments |
| Date of Board Approval: | - | First Installment: | - |
| Date of Loan Agreement: | 2008-01-16 | Date of Loan Effectiveness: | - |
Objectives:
The project aims at addressing the severe shortage in the supply of drinking water and electric energy in the city of Nouakchott, and satisfying a portion of the increasing demand for them. This will be accomplished by strengthening the water production and transport facilities, the reduction of water losses and the improvement of the city’s water distribution network, along with increasing the energy production capabilities of Nouakchott central power station, and expanding the city’s transmission network.
Description:
The drinking water component of the project includes the drilling and equipping of several wells, the rehabilitation and laying of pipelines used for the transmission and distribution of water, the construction of reservoirs, the rehabilitation and construction of pumping stations, the construction of water sterilization facilities, and the replacement of some water meters and old house connections. The electrical component of the project includes the supply and installation of diesel generating units, and circuit breakers and transformers to connect these units to the national transmission grid, the upgrade of the maintenance workshop in the Nouakchott central power station, along with the construction of transmission lines, substations and a fuel line. The project also includes all the required consultancy and technical services. The project, which is expected to be completed by the middle of 2009, consists of the following two main components:
- Drinking Water Works:This includes drilling and equipping 10 production wells and 8 observation wells in the water basin of Idini, the improvement of the control and operating system of the existing wells and pumping stations, the rehabilitation of about 40 km of the old transmission pipeline of Idini, the laying of about 32 km of pipelines with a diameter varying between 200 and 600 mm, the construction of a reservoir with a capacity of about 5000 m3 and an elevated reservoir with a capacity of 750 m3, a pumping station with a nominal flow of about 350 l/s and a head of about 25 m, and two water sterilization facilities. The works also include the rehabilitation and reinforcement of the distribution network, in addition to the replacement of about 6000 old house connections and about 5000 water meters. This component also includes the studies and the supervision of the works, the provision of technical assistance to SNDE, and the provision of equipment and vehicles needed for the management of the project.
- Electrical Works:This component includes increasing the generating capacity of the Nouakchott central power station by about 34 MW through the supply and installation of a number of diesel units that run on HFO, along with their accessories, the supply and installation of transformers and circuit breakers to connect these units to the 33 kV transmission network, and the upgrade of the maintenance workshop in the station. This component also includes the expansion of the 33 kV transmission network to relieve some of the loads on the 15 kV distribution network, the construction of a fuel pipeline, along with the acquisition of required consultancy services.
Financing:
The Arab Fund’s loan covers about 89.8% of the total project cost. The Mauritanian Government will finance the remaining cost of the project and any additional cost that may arise.