AFESD Activities أنشطة الصندوق العربي للتنمية المستدامة

Objectives:

The project aims at improving the regulation of Wadi Mellegue water, one of the main tributaries of Wadi Medjerda, through the construction of the upper Mellegue dam and its appurtenant structures in El Kef province, in order to compensate for the decrease in the storage capacity of the existing Mellegue dam on Wadi Mellegue due to the accumulation of sediment in its reservoir. The dam will also contribute to the flood protection of the lands and buildings in both Wadi Mellegue and Wadi Medjerda basins, and to an increase in the quantities of regulated surface water resources in the northwestern region of Tunisia, through the storage of flood water which is currently wasted into the Mediterranean Sea. The water regulated through this project will allow for the intensification of agricultural production in the lands equipped for irrigation downstream of Upper Mellegue dam in the plains of Wadi Mellegue and Wadi Medjerda, and electricity generation from an associated small power station.

Description:

The project, which is expected to be completed by the middle of the year 2020, consists of the construction of a dam on Wadi Mellegue and its appurtenant structures, which include a small hydroelectric power station, at a location approximately 16 km west of the city of El Kef, as well as the technical services necessary to implement the project. The project also includes the expropriation of land necessary to implement and operate the dam, in addition to project management. The project consists of the following main components:

1. Dam Construction: This includes the construction of a roller compacted concrete gravity dam and its appurtenant structures on Wadi Mellegue. The dam has a height of approximately 42 m above the Wadi bed (approximately 70 m above the foundation), a crest length of approximately 432 m and width of 7 m. It also includes a fill dyke with a height of approximately 4 m and a length of approximately 65 m to close a depression in the right bank of the Wadi, and a roller compacted concrete dyke with a height of approximately 35 m and a length of approximately 260 m to close a depression in the left bank of the Wadi. The dam’s appurtenant structures includes a main spillway above the dam with a discharge capacity of 8,600 m3/s, a secondary spillway in the right bank of the Wadi with a discharge capacity of 6,100 m3/s, a small hydroelectric power station with installed capacity of approximately 2 MW, in addition to a water intake and a bottom outlet. The dam impounds a reservoir with a storage capacity of approximately 195 million m3. This component also includes all the preparatory, civil, hydro mechanical and electrical works necessary to construct the dam and its appurtenant structures.
2. Technical Services: This includes consultancy services necessary to review and complete the studies and designs, and the construction supervision of the project. It also includes, when required, the services of international experts to review the studies and designs, and provide technical advice during the implementation of the project.
3. Land Expropriation: This includes the land acquisition and compensation for properties required for the construction of the dam.
4. Project Management: This includes the establishment and management of the project management unit which will be responsible for the follow up and monitoring of the construction works.

Financing:

The Arab Fund’s loan covers about 74% of the total project cost. The Tunisian Government will cover the remaining cost of the project and any additional cost that may arise.