Paris, September 5, 2001
Following an international call for bids, Vivendi Water, a member of the V.I.D. investment consortium, has been awarded the contract to build and operate a membrane sea water desalination plant at Ashkelon, south of Tel Aviv. The 25-year B.O.T. (Build Operate Transfer) contract represents total revenue of $800 million.
The V.I.D. investment consortium, which comprises Vivendi Water (25%), Israel Desalination Engineering - I.D.E. (50%), and Israeli investor Dankner (25%), will invest $110 million for the plant's construction.
The plant will be built by a consortium in which Vivendi Water Systems and I.D.E. hold equal shares, and operated by a company majority owned by Vivendi Water.
The Ashkelon plant will be the world's biggest desalination facility using reverse osmosis. With an annual production of 50 million cubic meters which corresponds to the drinking water consumption of a city of about 700,000 inhabitants, it will supply drinking water to southern Israel.
This plant demonstrates that sea water desalination technologies offer an effective and competitive solution for countries that suffer from a shortage of natural water resources.
This new contract strengthens Vivendi Water's leadership position in sea water desalination, in particular in the high potential Middle East market.
Vivendi Environnement has been operating in Israel since 1995 through its subsidiary Onyx, market leader in waste treatment, collection and recycling.
Vivendi Water, a subsidiary of Vivendi Environnement, is the leading global provider of water and wastewater services for municipal authorities, industrial companies and consumers. The company provides the entire range of outsourcing and design-build services, as well as equipment and systems.
With operations in more than 100 countries, Vivendi Water serves over 110 million consumers and 40,000 industrial customers worldwide. It has revenues of 12.9 billion euros for 2000 and 69,000 employees.
Disclaimer
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of
the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current
expectations or beliefs and are subject to a number of factors and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from
those described in the forward-looking statements. Vivendi Universal and
Vivendi Environnement do not undertake, nor have any obligation, to provide
updates or to revise any forward-looking statements. Investors and security
holders may obtain a free copy of documents filed by Vivendi Universal with
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov or directly from
Vivendi Universal.
Press contacts
Vivendi Water
Pierre Servent et Anne Froger
Tel : 33 1 49 24 31 18
Fax : 33 1 49 24 32 71
e-mail : anne.froger@generale-des-eaux.net
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Monique DENOIX
Tel : + 33 (0)1 53 70 74 57
Fax: + 33 (0)1 53 70 74 60
e-mail : mdenoix@image7.fr
VIVENDI ENVIRONNEMENT
Société Anonyme à Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance
Au capital de 4.673.361.892,50 €
Siège social : 36/38, avenue Kléber - 75016 Paris
403 210 032 RCS PARIS
VIVENDI WATER
Société anonyme au capital de 3.816.194.986 €
Siège social : 52, rue d'Anjou - 75008 Paris
421 345 042 R.C.S. Paris
