9 replies to this topic

[KudosBot]

Published on Sunday 8 July 2012 00:00

SCOTTISH engineering companies are expected to share in more than $700 million (£450m) worth of contracts that will be unveiled this week when the governor of the Pakistani province of Sindh visits the Central Belt.

It is understood that Dr Ishrat Ul Ebad Khan will ­announce the building of a ­desalination plant to provide 36 billion gallons of drinking water to Karachi each year.

Over its lifetime, the facility is expected to generate revenue of more than $14 billion through maintenance and ­operation contracts.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the water treatment plant is due to be struck this week, with MoUs for similar projects expected to reach some $16.2bn in total.

Ebad is visiting the UK as part of a delegation of provincial and federal ministers and will be accompanied by a number of representatives from businesses in Karachi.

He is also expected to announce the launch of a “free zone” in his province for companies looking to set up manufacturing bases to export to the UK.

His visit will include meetings with Scottish Government ministers at Holyrood.

As well as unveiling the water desalination contract, the delegation will also be given a presentation by Scottish Development International (SDI), Scottish Enterprise’s overseas division, on the growth of Scotland’s renewable energy industry.

Some £110bn will need to be invested in the UK’s ageing energy infrastructure before 2030, according to the UK government’s electricity market reform programme.

Ebad became Sindh’s youngest governor when he took up office in 2002 and is now the longest-serving leader of any of Pakistan’s provinces.

Sindh is the second-most heavily populated province in Pakistan, with some 60 million residents, 17 million of whom live in Karachi, the country’s largest city and its ­financial heart.

Many Scottish companies are already operating in the state, including Glasgow-based temporary power supplier ­Aggreko, which counts the ­Karachi Electric Supply Company among the customers for its temporary power plants.

Winning a share of the massive water contract in Pakistan would give a boost to Scotland’s flagging manufactured exports.

Official data released last week by the Scottish Government and the Office for Statistics revealed that exports dropped by 0.6 per cent during the three months to 31 March.

Commenting on the figures, Anne MacColl, SDI’s chief ­executive, said: “Together with our colleagues in the Scottish Manufacturing & Advisory Service, SDI is committed to helping home-grown manufacturing companies adapt to the changing patterns of international trade by targeting a range of overseas markets that offer significant growth opportunities.

“By doing so, we can help more companies realise their international trade plans, ultimately driving home long-term sustainable growth for the Scottish economy.”

Scottish engineering companies are already competing on a global stage, with Aberdeen-based energy services giant Wood Group winning contracts in the Middle East and the United States and Glasgow pumps and gears specialist Weir Group securing work in the gas “fracking” market in North America.

http://www.scotsman....irms-1-2399090?

[waz]

Good stuff.

[platinum786]

I don't know if it's value for money or not, but every little counts. We should try to get loads of these along the coast to ensure people have enough clean drinking water, it will help reduce disease.

[tank131]

Only problem is that desalinization requires high amount of energy...something Pakistan sorely lacks.

[waz]

tank131, on 08 July 2012 - 04:45 PM, said:

Only problem is that desalinization requires high amount of energy...something Pakistan sorely lacks.

Wow, I forgot about that. Sighs.....It would be great to see solar plants, wind turbines and even tidal use be utilised as Karachi is perfect for it.

[platinum786]

tank131, on 08 July 2012 - 04:45 PM, said:

Only problem is that desalinization requires high amount of energy...something Pakistan sorely lacks.

Good point. Could the plant be setup with its own solar field or wind turbines to help with that?

in the UK increasingly we are seeing small industrial estates with their own wind turbines, solar panels on the roof etc, to complement the mains energy

[Caesar]

If these idiots spend $500 million on Solar they can install 5KW solar panels oneach and every house in Karachi and other cities. This would eleviate pressure from the national grid saving energy for industries. OR they can establish dozens and dozens of Solar Farms saving huge amounts of money on Oil.

But I know this will not happen due these bastar.d corrupts.

[S.U.P.A.R.C.O]

MoUs worth over $2 billion signed for Karachi
Tuesday July 10, 2012



By Murtaza Ali Shah

LONDON/GLASGOW: A high-powered Pakistani delegation has signed 6 memorandum of understandings (MoUs) worth more than $2 billion with business groups and universities in Scotland.

Pakistani delegation led by Governor Sindh Dr Ishrat Ebad and comprised of provincial and federal ministers Babar Khan Ghauri, Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq, Raza Haroon, Faisal Subzwari, Saghir Ahmed, Adil Siddiqui, Karachi administrator Muhammd Hussain Sayyid, and Commissioner Roshan Sheikh signed the MoUs on Tuesday afternoon.

Four contracts were signed between Scottish business groups, Government and Port Qasim Authority, Karachi Port Trust, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and Karachi Water & Sewerage Board, ranging from 100 million gallons per day desalination plant and solid waste management etc. These contracts may have capital investment of around $ 2 billion and were unveiled on Tuesday after Pakistani delegation from Sindh held meetings with Scottish officials over two days.

Two MoUs were exchanged between the Engineering University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, and NED Engineering University Karachi & Mehran Engineering University, Jamshoro. These will enable the universities in faculties exchange and research programmes.

It is expected that desalination plant will generate revenue of billions of dollars through over its lifetime. The Pakistani delegation was busy meeting officials in Scotland yesterday to inform the potential investors and companies of the opportunities that exist in Pakistan.

Speaking to The News over telephone from Edinburgh, the Sindh Governor hailed the signing of new contracts and hoped that the people of Karachi will greatly benefit from these deals. “These are breakthrough achievements for us. To fetch business to Pakistan in current circumstances is a difficult task but we have been able to convince the foreign investors that Pakistan is a land of business opportunities.

“There is no better place to start business than the port city of Karachi which is Pakistan’s main gateway. We are ready to facilitate businesses in every possible way.”

Faisal Subzwari told The News that the delegation was keen to learn more about the growth of Scotland’s renewable energy industry and see what can be done to address the crisis of energy in Pakistan.

He said: “Since Karachi is facing acute shortage of water in the tune of more than 500 million gallons a day, the provision of 100 million gallons will bring a great relief to the lives of millions of Karachiites.”

http://www.geo.tv/Ge...l.aspx?ID=58241

[KudosBot]

Cook confirms £618m Pakistan water deals

Published on Saturday 14 July 2012 00:00
A SCOTTISH consultancy firm yesterday unveiled details of contracts worth a total of $960 million (£618m) for water and waste-treatment plants in the Pakistani city of Karachi, as revealed in last weekend’s Scotland on Sunday.


Glasgow-based Cook Consulting, run by former Scottish Conservative Party vice-chairman Richard Cook, signed four memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with agencies in the city, which is the country’s largest port and its financial heart.

Under the first deal, Port Qasim Authority will invest $775m to develop a drinking water plant, while the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board will commission an $85m desalination facility. US firm Aeromix Systems and Canadian company Sentinel Waste International also signed the MOUs.

Cook said: “These projects will be extremely significant in developing an infrastructure in Karachi that provides its population with significant environmental and health benefits.”

Through the other MOUs, Karachi Port Trust will work with Northamptonshire-based Point Green to construct a $100m waste water treatment plant, with Cook Consulting helping the Karachi Municipal Corporation to complete a “comprehensive waste study”.

The MOUs were signed during a visit by Ishrat ul-Ibad Khan, governor of Sindh province.

http://www.scotsman....deals-1-2411335

[shadeslayer]

Why can't a Pakistani company do this? Descon and other Karachi based companies have done much much larger projects in Middle East and some other countries.