Soreq desalination tenders said to have low water price

The three consortia bidding for the Soreq desalination project in Israel have submitted bids of less than NIS 2.50 (US$ 0.66) per m³ of fresh water, according to a report from the Globes financial news source.

The price for desalinated water in the recent Hadera desalination tender was set at NIS 2.60 (US$ 0.69) per m³.

The three consortia in the US$ 530 million tender for the Soreq plant, Israel's largest, are:

# IDE Technologies Ltd and Hutchison Water Ltd;

# Shikun u'Binui Holdings Ltd, Granite Hacarmel Investments Ltd and Shafir Civil & Marine Engineering Ltd;

# Kardan NV subsidiary Tahal Group and Veolia Environnement SA unit Veolia Israel Ltd.

The three bids are said to be so close that the government may hold an auction, although no decision has yet been made. The Soreq plant will produce 150 million m³ of fresh water a year.