Baku, Fineko/abc.az. The World Bank has ceased attempts on the project of construction of deepwater sewage runoff from Hovsan aeration station to the Caspian Sea.

Yesterday in Baku Asad Alam, who is leaving his post of WB Regional Director for South Caucasus, said that work on the project preparation has been stopped.

"It is linked with the change of Azerbaijani government’s priorities,” Alam said.

He appealed to the Azerbaijani government with a proposal to give before the end of February a final answer if the government keeps an interest in the project or the project is not more among the government’s priorities.

Earlier Azerbaijani government called the price of work on the deepwater runoff project too high. In this regard, the Ministry of Finance was commissioned to re-evaluate the project cost. The issue of formal talks with the WBG was solved depending on the Ministry’s findings.

Hovsani treatment plants dump 600,000 cu m of wastewater. Successful negotiations with the government would allow the Bank to submit the project to the WB Board of Directors. The estimated cost of one kilometer of deepwater sewage runoff is $30 million, and one option the project is estimated at $90 million, while the other one at $180 million.

Initially, the WB was ready to endorse the loan for the project before the end of June 2010. The Bank reserved up to $150 million for the project.

The feasibility study was made by Turkey Seyas and EIA by French-Azerbaijani consortium Seurega/ASPI.

20.06.2012 10:26