Jordan Daily – The Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation signed two grant agreements with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to support the implementation of the expansion and rehabilitation project for the Ain Ghazal Preliminary Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The agreements were signed by Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Zeina Toukan, on behalf of the Government of Jordan; Minister of Water and Irrigation Raed Abu Saud, on behalf of the beneficiary entity- the Water Authority of Jordan; and Ms. Gretchen Biery, Director of the EBRD Amman Office and Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, on behalf of the Bank, the Ministry said in a statement received by Jordan Daily.
Minister Toukan explained that the first grant, an investment grant, amounts to USD 3 million. The second, a technical cooperation grant, is valued at EUR 708,700, bringing the total technical assistance grant to approximately EUR 1.265 million. Both grants are provided through the EBRD Shareholder Special Fund (SSF). These contributions support the implementation of the project, which had previously secured concessional financing from the Bank in the form of a USD 11.25 million loan, signed on January 12, 2023.
Minister Abu Saud noted that the funding will be used to upgrade and expand the preliminary treatment plant, increasing its capacity to 726,712 cubic meters per day. This expansion is designed to accommodate and treat projected inflows to the plant through 2045. The project is also a critical component of the infrastructure required for the National Carrier Project, which aims to desalinate and transport water from Aqaba to Amman.
Minister Toukan expressed gratitude to the EBRD for its support of this vital public service project and for its continued backing of Jordan’s development priorities under the Economic Modernization Vision.
Ms. Gretchen Biery, Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean at the EBRD, stated: “We are proud to continue our partnership with the Government of Jordan to strengthen cooperation in the water sector through this vital project. By expanding the Ain Ghazal Preliminary Treatment Plant, we will help improve wastewater services for more than three million people and ensure sufficient capacity to meet Jordan’s needs through 2045.”
