Halcrow, as technical advisor to the consortium of Kuwaiti banks financing the US$375 million Sulaibiya plant, has reviewed and tested the technical solutions and contractual arrangements on this, the region's largest wastewater build-operate-transfer (BOT) scheme.

The project is the Middle East's first wastewater treatment plant to be implemented on a BOT basis. Utilities Development Company (UDC), owned by Al-Kharafi of Kuwait and Ionics of USA will build and operate the 375-million-litres-per-day plant over the 30-year concession period.

Halcrow's role was to advise the banks on the robustness of the concession contract, the technical risks associated with the cutting edge design and UDC's ability to receive, service and repay the loan for the project.