St Petersburg Baltic Sea contract nears completion

The highest priority water protection project in the Baltic Sea area, the St Petersburg South West Wastewater Treatment Plant, is scheduled for completion in autumn 2005 by Black and Veatch

Appointed just under two years ago as Consulting Engineers to the highest priority water protection project in the whole of Baltic Sea area, Black and Veatch has successfully mobilised the long overdue design-build contract for the St.

Petersburg South West Wastewater Treatment Plant (SWWWTP) - almost two decades since construction first began.

Set for completion in the autumn, the works will significantly reduce direct discharge pollution into the Gulf of Finland from about 0.5 million inhabitants of the second largest city of the Russian Federation (total city population 4.6 million).

With major new housing developments set to increase the population served by the works from 590,000 to 713,000 in less than five years, the Black and Veatch engineering of the project is proving truly vital.

Construction of the SWWWTP commenced in 1987, with commissioning planned for 1992.

However, lack of funding slowed building, and it was effectively stopped altogether in 1995 with just less than half of the civil works completed.

In 1993, Vodokanal of St Petersburg commissioned YIT Corporation of Finland to review the development of the SWWWTP to incorporate changes in the wastewater and sludge treatment so that compliance with the requirements of HELCOM* could be ensured.

It was proposed that an initial capacity of 250,000 m3/day be provided with provision for doubling the capacity to 500,000 m3/d.

A preliminary design was completed, but the implementation of the project was not possible again because of the non-availability of funding.

Further studies and planning took place in 1997 for a Long-term Water Sector Development Programme, and in 2000, the Pre-investment Feasibility Study was prepared under the Tacis Interstate Programme.

Upon completion of these studies, a Task Force was established to prepare a financially feasible investment project to complete the SWWWTP.

Comprising Vodokanal of St Petersburg, Nordic Investment Bank and Nordic donor agencies, the Task Force concluded that existing, partially constructed structures could be utilized in the final application.

The study also noted that the SWWWTP design capacity of 330,000 m3/d would enable the closure of Krasnoselskaya WWTP immediately after SWWWTP completion.

Sludge incineration was recommended as the least-cost solution for final sludge disposal.

Total Investment costs for Phase 1 (including network investments) were estimated at about US$ 110 million (at Mid 2000 cost level), with annual operating costs estimated at US$ 3.8 million.

One of the main objectives of the completion of SWWWTP was achieved with the closure of the major direct discharge points at pumping station No 1 and at Krasnoselskaya WWTP which discharged (for example in 1999) about 240,000 m3/d.

The project has included the disposal pipeline between the treatment works and the Gulf of Finland where the effluent is to be discharged.

The overall project has also involved work on the influent pipelines which will deliver the sewage to the treatment works and an incineration plant for dealing with the dewatered sludge.

The design-build contract, based on the FIDIC Conditions of Contract for Plant and Design-Build, was agreed for the construction of the SWWWTP to begin on 31 December 2002.

It was signed by the SWTP Construction OY (comprising NCC International Ab, Skanska East Europe Oy and YIT Construction), with a 31-month construction period.

Civil works and installation of process equipment is almost complete.

Procurement of equipment through donor funded contracts has proved to be very challenging.

Nevertheless, all equipment supply contracts have been awarded and the expected taking-over the Works is late September/early October 2005.

Estimated out-turn cost is within the budget ceiling of Euro 128 millon.

In addition to carrying out the duties and responsibilities of the engineer during the construction of the works, Black and Veatch will supervise all tests on completion, and the employer take-over of the plant.

The consulting engineers will also supervise the tests after completion, as well as inspections and supervising of the remedying of defects during the defects notification period.

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