Project record

Aqaba-Amman National Water Carrier marine works

Participation
Not assessed
Project facts checked

October marine assessment adopts the existing SEPCO intake and a revised canyon outfall; financing approvals recorded, construction release unconfirmed

Project sources

The October 2026 interim environmental assessment changes Aqaba-Amman's marine package to reuse the existing SEPCO lagoon and intake pumping station and install a DN2800 HDPE canyon outfall. Its indicative method allows about 20,000 m3 of excavation, including 8,500 m3 for backfill and 11,500 m3 for onshore disposal. The marine works supply a 300 million m3/year desalination system connected to the 438 km conveyance network.

Original IMWO diagram of the October Aqaba-Amman marine design: existing SEPCO intake reuse, DN2800 canyon outfall, 16-27 metre diffuser depth and 35 metre diving limit

IMWO original editorial diagram, based on AAWDCP October 2026 interim assessment

Location

Jordan / Middle East

Segment

Marine utilities

Phase

Financing / Confirmed

Last checked

24 October 2026

Coverage

Related sectors

Marine utilities is the primary work classification. Related sectors connect this record to adjacent marine delivery and market coverage.

Subject index

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These subject pages bring together related projects, technical articles, reports, and evidence methods.

Project anatomy

Contract scope and delivery roles

Client / authority
Jordan Ministry of Water and Irrigation / Water Authority of Jordan
Delivery parties
National Carrier Project Company, Meridiam, SUEZ
Contract route
Thirty-year public-private partnership under a build-own-operate-transfer / design-build-finance-maintain-operate-transfer concession with National Carrier Project Company
Execution window
The retained programme describes an approximately 48-month build and 2030 operating target. DFC announced loan and equity-investor insurance approvals on 16 September 2026; EBRD still lists its financing as Approved. Current financial close, notice to proceed and marine mobilisation require project-specific confirmation.
Works package
The 300 million m3/year SWRO project includes reuse and modification of the existing SEPCO lagoon and intake pumping station, the DN2800 HDPE outfall and revised diffuser, desalination, approximately 438 km of conveyance, pumping stations, tanks, a 281 MWp solar facility, substations and transmission works. The October addendum supersedes the December 2025 new-lagoon and original-outfall construction basis.
Marine interfaces
The October indicative method assigns chainage 0-60 to shore work, 60-110 to crane-barge work and pipe placement seaward to about chainage 195. Prepared pipe strings, bolted flanges, ballast, bedding, backfill and rock protection link the crane barge, flat-deck barge, tugs and dive team. Coral translocation precedes footprint dredging. Pipe, precast and rock areas at the Royal Navy Port, about 1.5 nautical miles away, remain under discussion.
Commercial evidence boundary
Reusing the existing intake shifts scope from a new lagoon excavation to asset modifications, tie-ins and operational interfaces. The canyon route keeps the selected diffuser at about 16-27 m depth, within the project's 35 m diving limit. The earlier alignment would have required trenching to 60 m, a widened excavation zone and more complex deep-water methods. The final bid needs a shore-handling cycle as well as an offshore production rate: disposal capacity constrains the removal of the indicative 11,500 m3 surplus.

Project timeline

Material developments

Dated events that changed scope, counterparties, delivery, commissioning or operating status.

Open this project in the Change Log

October addendum changes the intake and outfall construction basis

Reuse of the existing SEPCO lagoon and pumping station replaces the new-lagoon scheme. The revised canyon outfall uses DN2800 HDPE with indicative 20,000 m3 excavation and 11,500 m3 onshore disposal; final method and quantities remain design-dependent.

Source

DFC approves NCPC lending and equity-investor political-risk cover

DFC approved a loan to NCPC and political-risk cover for equity investors; the September packet identifies up to USD 1 billion and USD 800 million respectively. Financial close and construction release remain separate project milestones.

Source

The water ministry confirmed financial close was still incomplete

The ministry said it was continuing efforts to complete financial close and that close would pave the way for implementation. This is the latest public gate: it does not prove notice to proceed, marine mobilisation, accepted final design, physical intake or outfall work, or construction commencement.

Source

Jordan signed the final technical and legal agreement

The government marked completion of 16 months of technical, legal and financial negotiation and kept financial close and construction launch as later steps. The agreement advances contractual readiness; it is not financial close, a notice to proceed, marine-package mobilisation or physical construction evidence.

Source

AIIB approved USD 250 million of nonsovereign financing

AIIB approved its financing and set construction-phase environmental and social monitoring expectations. Lender approval contributes to the finance stack but does not establish that all financing conditions are met or that financial close, drawdown, NTP or marine works have occurred.

Source

EBRD approved a senior loan of up to USD 475 million

EBRD board approval set out the proposed senior financing and Category A environmental framework. The project remained at Approved rather than Signed or Implementing status, short of financial close or construction release.

Source

December 2025 disclosure established the earlier marine design basis

The original disclosure assessed a new lagoon, temporary works and the former deep-water outfall. The October 2026 addendum replaces those intake and outfall construction assumptions.

Source

EIB recorded the latest signature in a EUR 427 million support package

The EIB project record lists five EIB and EU financing or grant signatures through 24 July 2025, totalling EUR 427 million. These commitments support the wider funding plan but do not on their own prove project financial close, NTP or marine construction.

Source

The Meridiam-SUEZ consortium signed the 30-year concession

The concession created the project company and assigned long-term financing, construction and operating responsibility. SUEZ explicitly made construction conditional on financial close, leaving mobilisation and physical progress ahead.

Source

Evidence gap

What remains unverified

Outstanding evidence

  • Financial close, notice to proceed and marine work-area release
  • Existing SEPCO asset condition, intake tie-ins and operating interfaces
  • Final canyon-outfall geometry and subcontract construction method
  • Royal Navy Port pipe, precast and rock-handling arrangements
  • Coral translocation, turbidity controls and onshore receiving/disposal capacity
  • Connection, testing and commissioning across marine, desalination, power and conveyance

Related reports

Related records 2

Reporting status

Project phase
Financing
Evidence confidence
Confirmed
Last checked
24 October 2026
Cited sources
10

Sources and related records

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Source collections

Project sources 10