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Manila Water Diversifies Southeast Asia Position
On 21 August 2013, Manila Water acquired a 31.46% stake in Vietnam water utility SWIC. The deal needs to be ratified by SWIC within 105 days. SWIC, formerly Saigon Infrastructure Real Estate Investment Joint Stock Company, shifted its focus in 2011 toward integrated water and wastewater treatment services.
MWC’s parent company is owned by Philippine-based Ayala Group (32%), First State Investment Ltd. (9.7%), Mitsubishi Corporation (8.3%), and the International Finance Corporation (6%). MWC was incorporated on 1997, commenced operations in 2000 and became a publicly listed company in March 2005.
South Africa Desalination Inches Forward
On 3 July 2013, the South Africa DWA reemphasized its strategy to scale national water conservation and management practices, including desalination and reuse. The newly released National Water Resource Strategy (NWRS2) document, an extension of the government’s 2012 water directive, projects large scale seawater desalination, brackish water desalination, mine water treatment, and municipal and industrial wastewater reuse to meet South Africa’s future water demand.
South Africa has been recorded as the 29th driest of 193 measured countries, with an estimated 1,110 m3/person available in 2005. Total installed desalination is approximately in South Africa is 64,850 m3/day, supplying municipal and industrial off-takers.
Mitsui, Japanese Expand Global Water Footprints
In July 2013, Mitsui & Co. acquired a 49% stake in Czech Republic water system operator Severomoravske vodvody a kanalizace Ostrava a.s. (SmVaK). Mitsui’s newly established subsidiary, Mit Infrastructure Europe Ltd. (MIE) acquired the stake from Aqualia Czech, S.L. a subsidiary of Spain Based FCC S.A. SmVaK produces and supplies drinking water to 1.3 million users and owns a 6,000-kilometer supply network along with 41 water and 67 wastewater plants. The price of the acquisition is €97 million. The Mitsui acquisition follows on the heals of FCC’s (Aqualia) 10 June 2013 agreement to sell its 50% stake in Proactiva Medio Ambiente to its joint venture partner Veolia Environnement for €150 million.
Sembcorp Presses Independent Water Position
On 20 May 2013, Singapore-based Sembcorp signed a joint venture with Takamul Investment Company, a subsidiary of OOC to develop centralized utility facilities for Oman’s Ad Duqm Special Economic Zone. The CUC will provide water, wastewater, power, steam, and logistics. OOC’s refinery and petrochemical facility will serve as the anchor tenant.
Salalah Power and Water Company is 60% owned by Sembcorp subsidiary, Sembcorp Utilities. Oman Investment Corporation and Bahrain-based Instrata Capital own the remaining stakes. Sembcorp is also a 70% owner in the operating company, Salalah O&M Company.
