RWL Water Is Awarded 5.8 MGD Seawater Desalination Project With 30-Year BOT In Baja California, Mexico

The State Water Commission of Baja California, Mexico awarded the consortium of RWL Water and its Mexican partners Libra Ingenieros and R.J. Ingenieria the project to build, finance, operate and transfer (BOT) a seawater desalination plant in San Quintín. The project is located in Baja California, approximately 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the U.S./Mexico border. The project will consist of the construction of a 22,000 m³/d (approximately 5.8 MGD) seawater desalination plant and the operation of the plant for 30 years.

In March 2014 the Government of Baja California had declared a state of water emergency for the region of San Quintín and the municipality of Ensenada. The purpose of the project is to increase access to sustainable drinking water service through the development of an additional water supply source, contributing to the preservation of groundwater resources and covering actual water demand for approximately 100,000 residents of Baja California. This project will also give momentum for the economic development of the region, which has been hampered by the lack of affordable water in the past.

SIDUE, the Secretariat of Infrastructure and Urban Development for the State of Baja California, and CEA, the State Water Commission of Baja California, issued the invitation to tender for the project on June 26, 2015. The public tender was the result of an unsolicited proposal prepared and submitted by Libra Ingenieros and R.J. Ingenieria under the new PPP Law.

This is the first project of this kind that has been based on the new Public-Private-Partnership law of the State of Baja California. CEA, the “offtaker” of the water, will enter into a back-to-back agreement with CESPE, the State Commission of Public services of Ensenada.

The consortium will finance the project with a mix of equity investment and limited recourse project finance. The desalination plant will be built by RWL Water based on its own technology, know-how and project management capabilities.

According to Henry Charrabé, President and CEO of RWL Water, “This is a major achievement of RWL Water in Mexico and confirms our business concept of providing complete high-tech water solutions with turnkey contracting and investment into our clients’ water infrastructure.”

The plant is expected to commence operation in fall of 2017.

About RWL Water

Founded by Ronald S. Lauder, RWL Water was established with a vision to become the leading global water, wastewater, and reuse solutions provider in the middle market. The Company offers global solutions for desalination, water, wastewater, waste-to-energy, recovery & reuse, and food & beverage processing. RWL Water provides leading edge sustainable water, wastewater, and reuse solutions by deploying its internationally experienced and highly responsive team, dedicated to achieving clients’ economic and operational goals.

The Company has designed plants on all seven continents to help industrial and municipal clients treat their complex water and wastewater effluents in affordable, energy efficient ways. With more than 7,000 sites installed in over 70 countries around the world, RWL Water has a reputation for innovative engineering and fast deployment.

RWL Water’s core operations are strategically located in North & South America, the

Middle East, and Europe to provide rapid response through its network of sales, service, technical, and engineering professionals worldwide.

For information on RWL Water, please visit www.rwlwater.com.