The Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) operates pumping stations across Jordan to distribute water to citizens. The current infrastructure used for water distribution requires a large amount of energy, and this has made WAJ the country’s largest energy consumer.
To improve the efficiency of water distribution in Jordan, a partnership was established between the public and private sectors. WAJ and the German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation (GIZ) approached a private consortium comprising Engicon and Wilo SE, and a performance management contract was then set up between Miyahuna and Engicon O&M to improve efficiency at the Wala and Lib pumping stations, which lie within the governorate of Madaba.
This initiative sought to reduce energy consumption and water losses at both pumping stations and provide better service to their customers over a five-and-a-half year period. Engicon O&M’s role was to finance, supply and install new pumps, valves, and other accessories at the Wala and Lib pumping stations and to manage operation and maintenance of these stations. The finance was made possible through a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to Engicon O&M. The return on Engicon O&M’s capital investment is made by charging its client a percentage of the energy efficiency gains. The nature of the contract made it one of the most innovative PPP projects in the country’s challenging water sector.
New pumps and valves, produced by the German manufacturers Wilo and VAG, were introduced. A new SCADA system was also installed to monitor and log the data of all parameters in the pumping stations. The existing electrical panels, which had been old and run down, underwent full maintenance to improve their working order and reduce the risk of the pumps shutting down.
The new system was in place as of the January 2015, and there have already been significant energy savings. Results in the first two years of operation showe a 13% energy saving at the Wala pumping station and a 39% saving at the Lib pumping station.
