Financing, design, construction, supply, installation, operation and maintenance of a reverse osmosis seawater desalination facility at Kibbutz Palmachim for the production and supply of up to 30 million m3/year (about 1,100 l/sec) of drinking water. Via Maris Desalination Ltd., of which TAHAL Consulting Engineers Ltd. is the lead partner, was awarded the contract for a period of 25 years.

The project is of the Build, Own and Operate (BOO) type and will remain at the disposal of the seller at the end of the term of agreement. The facility will be complete, and will include all equipment, materials, works, infrastructures and auxiliaries, namely:

• Two submarine lines for suction and brine discharge.
• Subterranean concrete lines drilled horizontally
• Two storage tanks each with a capacity of 20,000 m3
• Two electrical facilities
• Administration building
• Pre-treatment section using dual media filter composed of sand and anthracite
• Intake pump station with storage tank
• Pumps to reverse osmosis facility, two transfer pumps, self-cleaning pumps, fire fighting pumps, high pressure pumps, two exit pumping stations (for brine and clear water) 
• Boron treatment section
• Ion exchange membranes
• Hardening filter section with calcium carbonate filter

TAHAL is providing the following services:

• Evaluation of alternative desalination processes, aimed at selecting the process best suited to the type of seawater and to prevailing conditions.
• Planning and design of the entire plant, including auxiliary installations such as intake structures, facilities for pre-treatment and post-treatment, brine disposal, etc.
• Design of the conveyance and consumer or sectorial supply system.
• Preparation of equipment specifications for international suppliers.
• Assistance in tender adjudication and preparation of contract documents;
• Contract management, including supervision of construction and plant installation.
• Plant running in.
• Planning and design of plant infrastructure.

The project is to be completed within two years. Implementation of the project in its entirety calls for investments in the range of US$ 80 million. The cost of the water supplied is estimated to be about 55 cents/m3.