PHNOM PENH: The Phnom Penh Water Authority (PPWSA) and Vinci Construction Grands Projets (VCGP) signed yesterday a $103.3 million contract for the design and construction of the third drinking water treatment plant in Bakheng.
This aligns with PPWSA’s revised third master plan (2022-2030), which projects a water demand of 1.4 million m3/day in Phnom Penh by 2030. This contract is part of the “Bakheng phase 3” project, which was signed in January 2024 between the Agence française de Développement (AFD) and the Royal Government of Cambodia, represented by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF). The three phases of the project altogether will make the Bakheng drinking water treatment plant the largest operated by PPWSA, and one of the largest in the region, with 600,000m3 of water per day.
The new contract will include the construction of a new water intake, a new treatment plant, the main transmission network and all ancillary equipment. Construction is scheduled to start in the second half of 2024 and be completed in 2027. This will contribute to the goal of universal access to drinking water for the entire population of Phnom Penh and its outskirts.
The signing ceremony has been attended by H.E. SIM SITHA, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation (MISTI) and Chairman of the Board of Directors of PPWSA, H.E. Jacques PELLET, French Ambassador to Cambodia, H.E. Igor DRIESMANS, Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to Cambodia, H.E. LONG Naro, Director General of PPWSA, and representatives of MEF, MISTI and AFD.
“This project fully embodies the long-standing cooperation of trust that exists between France and Cambodia, by combining the expertise of French companies and the commitment of AFD. It also illustrates the Team Europe’s commitment to the country, as part of the Global Gateway strategy”, declared French Ambassador Jacques PELLET at the ceremony.
As part of its partnership with Cambodia, France plays a major role in contributing to access to water and sanitation for all populations, and ensuring sustainable management of water resources, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Photo by: Embassy of France in Cambodia
