Emirates NBD will provide EGP 2 bn in financing to a consortium of four construction firms to build the largest agricultural wastewater treatment plant in El Hamam, according to a statement (pdf).

The consortium includes Orascom Construction, Hassan Allam Construction, Arab Contractors and Metito. The group was awarded the construction back in March and will build an agricultural wastewater treatment plant that’s being billed as the largest of its kind in the world. Construction began in mid-February prior to the announcement of the companies that were to be involved, a cabinet statement had said at the time.

More details on the plant: The plant has a capacity of 6 mn cubic meters of water per day and will also include the construction of a 120 km waterway to carry drainage water from Delta governorates to the plant in El Hamam along the North Coast. The plant will provide water to irrigate up to 500k feddans in the western desert.

Agricultural wastewater projects have been top priority to the government as per its USD 50 bn multi-year water-saving plan. Other than El Hamam, there’s the Al Mahsama 1 mn cubic meter a day agriculture wastewater treatment plant, which Hassan Allam and Metito inaugurated back in April.