Consortium Suez-Itochu only bidder for Vinča landfill rehabilitation project

One offer from the French-Japanese consortium Suez-Itochu has been received for public-private partnership contract for the rehabilitation of Vinča landfill near Belgrade, the city authorities announced.

Opening of the bids for the public-private partnership contract for the treatment and disposal of municipal waste at Vinča landfill was held on July 13, and only one bid was received.

The offer was submitted by the consortium made of French Suez Groupe SAS and I – Environment Investments Limited, an investment company in European water and environment industries with headquarters in London and a member of Japanese Itochu Corporation.

The Chairman of the Tender Commission and Director of the City Administration for Waste Management Filip Abramović said that the offer will be considered as soon as possible.

If the City of Belgrade accepts the offer, the works could start in the second half of 2018. The original plan was to obtain all building permits by the end of 2017 in order to complete the works and start utilizing the station by the end of 2019.

Tender for the selection of a private partner for the regulation of this landfill was published in 2015 and five companies have been shortlisted from 11 that initially applied. Call for final bids was published on May 26.

Belgrade Mayor Siniša Mali said in June that bids of at least three if not all five companies are expected, naming FCC, Suez, Veolia and Urbaser.

The project whose value is estimated at EUR 300 million, includes the treatment of municipal waste and the construction of combined heat and power plant (CHP).

The project scope includes designing, financing, construction, operation, and maintenance of treatment and disposal facilities for about 480,000 tonnes per year of residual municipal solid waste and about 100,000 tonnes per year of construction and demolition waste, with the production of electrical and heating energy, as well as the services of closure and rehabilitation of the existing landfill.

The private partner will operate the facility for the period of 25 years after which the City of Belgrade will take over the facility.

The Vinča landfill is considered also as serious environmental problem in the broader city region. Recent fire that broke at landfill, burning for a month, has caused much of a concern about the air pollution in Belgrade.

This is the largest landfill in Belgrade area, and it has been in use since 1977. It stretches over 68 hectares and some 2,700 tons of garbage is disposed of in it daily.