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Lemna Signs Agreement for Water Project

Lemna Signs Agreement for Water Project

Published 11-13-02

Submitted by Lemna International, Inc.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota/ACCRA, Ghana - Today, in a ceremony witnessed by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans and Ghanian and U.S. dignitaries at the Labadi Hotel in Accra, Ghana, Lemna International signed an agreement with Ghana Water Company to implement the expansion and rehabilitation of the drinking water system for the city of Sunyani and 16 surrounding towns and villages. The implementation will cost USD 80 million. In addition to Secretary Evans, the ceremony was attended by Ghana Deputy Minister of Works and Housing Teresa Tagoe and U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce Maria Cino.

Mr. J.N.A. Nunoo, Managing Director, signed for Ghana Water Company and Mr. Viet Ngo, President and CEO, signed for Lemna International. Ngo is one of ten U.S. business executives accompanying Secretary Evans on a Trade Mission to Ghana and South Africa. In his remarks at the ceremony, Secretary Evans emphasized the importance of supplying clean drinking water in sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere. Ngo said, ”This project will bring clean drinking water to an area that has suffered severe water shortages for many years. Water is a fundamental human need, and by providing people with clean water we not only improve individual health and well-being, we also contribute to economic development. By the year 2020, this area will have more than 372,000 people and they will all have safe drinking water as a result of this project.”

In April 2001, Lemna International learned that its bid for the Sunyani Water Supply System Expansion and Rehabilitation Project had been successful but that Ghana Water Company, the government entity publishing the bid, and responsible for the project, would require a Feasibility Study and Preliminary Design before contract negotiations could begin. Lemna and Ghana Water Company asked the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) for help in funding this endeavor. USTDA awarded a grant to Ghana Water Company to cover a portion of the costs for the required Feasibility Study and Preliminary Design and Lemna covered the remainder. USTDA is a U.S. government entity that promotes the export of U.S. technology and equipment by funding feasibility studies. Ngo said,

“We are very grateful for the assistance provided by USTDA. We have progressed much faster towards the implementation of this project because of their help. Along with Lemna, our many U.S. sub-contractors, of which a large number are small and medium-sized businesses, will benefit from this export opportunity.”

The Sunyani Water Supply System serves the city of Sunyani, the capital and commercial center of the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana and 16 surrounding towns and villages. The water treatment and supply system was built in 1962, and while there have been a few repairs and additions during the intervening years, it is long overdue for an overhaul. Equipment is beginning to fail, and must be repaired or replaced. The system has suffered other problems as well: two villages lost their water supply completely when pipes were cut to build an airstrip and were never re-connected. Water shortages are acute and water must be rationed and is sometimes available for only a few hours per day. Many people do not have access to even the 50 liters per day that is the United Nation’s Basic Water Requirement. In fact, most people in the Sunyani area receive less than 44 liters per day, about 11.5 gallons. This is less than one-tenth of the daily per capita water consumed by households in the USA. When completed, this project will bring adequate amounts of safe, clean drinking water to the current residents and will provide for an anticipated population of 372,024 in the year 2020.

Lemna International is part of the Lemna Group, a worldwide infrastructure project developer specializing in the environmental, transportation and energy sectors. The Lemna Group develops and implements projects on a turnkey (Design-Build), turnkey plus financing (Design-Build-Finance) or BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) basis and has completed numerous projects in Turkey, Eastern Europe and elsewhere. In addition to working in Central Asia, the company is expanding its operations to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.

Since its establishment in1983, Lemna International, a Minnesota corporation, has completed the design and construction of more than 250 projects in fourteen countries. Originally founded to design and build small, medium and large wastewater treatment systems using its proprietary, innovative “green” technologies, since 1995 the company has expanded into other infrastructure sectors, including transportation, water supply and irrigation, solid waste management, and renewable energy. The company works worldwide with a special focus on developing economies. Its website is www.lemna.com.

Lemna International, Inc.

Lemna International, Inc.

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