VINCI Construction awarded a contract to upgrade and extend wastewater treatment facilities in Canberra, Australia

• Upgrade and extension of wastewater treatment facilities
• Increase total plant capacity
• A design-build contract worth AUD $385 million (€236 million)

Icon Water, the Australian Capital Territory‘s supplier of water and wastewater services, has awarded Seymour Whyte and VINCI Construction Grands Projets – both VINCI Construction subsidiaries – the contract to upgrade and extend the existing Lower Molonglo Water Quality Control Center. This is the largest Australian inland wastewater treatment infrastructure which has been in operation since the late 1970s in Canberra.

On this 385 million AUD (€236 million) contract, the joint venture will work in a collaborative design and build approach – alongside the engineering firm BECA HunterH2O – to construct a new wastewater to increase the existing plant’s capacity.

The project will construct a new membrane bioreactor with treatment capacity of 97 Mega Litres (ML) of wastewater a day, thanks to innovative membrane treatment technology.

The joint venture has committed to implementing a wide range of measures to protect the environment, including:

• using low-carbon concrete blends to reduce carbon emissions;
• reusing 90% of materials on-site;
• supplying its site office with 100% renewable energy;
• using 100% of recycled water for construction activities.

The project is the first in a 10-year program of works and expected to commence in 2025 and to employ up to 250 people at its peak. It will upgrade plant treatment capacity and enhance wastewater services to the Canberra community.