French firms to build, operate Belgrade’s first wastewater plant

French companies Suez and Vinci Construction Grands Projets have signed a memorandum of understanding with Serbia to build and operate Belgrade’s first wastewater treatment facility. The large-scale wastewater plant in Veliko Selo should help preserve the water quality and biodiversity of the Danube and Sava rivers and improve the quality of life of the population, according to a press release from Suez.

The construction of the wastewater facility would be executed by the Suez-Vinci consortium, while its long-term operation and maintenance would be carried out through a joint venture between public utility Belgrade Waterworks and Sewage (BVK) and Suez.

The plant is projected to treat 423,000 cubic meters of wastewater a day, equivalent to the amount generated by 1.5 million inhabitants. According to earlier estimates, the construction and commissioning of the plant would cost some EUR 700 million.

The facility could also produce heat, biogas, and electricity from solar

“The new plant will be a world-class highly advanced wastewater treatment plant, with cutting-edge technologies to recover heat, reduce electricity consumption, enhance biogas production, and potentially produce renewable electricity through a photovoltaic power plant project,” Suez said.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić earlier said that the wastewater plant in Veliko Selo would be built in cooperation with France, but that the construction works would be performed by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC). He revealed the plans following a meeting with French President Emanuel Macron in Paris in April.

President Aleksandar Vučić earlier said the Veliko Selo wastewater plant would be built by China’s CRBC

CRBC is Serbia’s partner on a project to build dozens of local wastewater treatment and network systems in Serbia and rehabilitate or build six regional landfills. The contracts, worth EUR 3.2 billion, were signed in February 2021.

According to earlier announcements, the construction of the wastewater treatment plant in Veliko Selo, one of five planned in Belgrade, was expected to begin in 2023.