November, 2023
This paper examines the digitalisation components of the Kafr El-Sheikh Wastewater Project, in light of the EBRD’sApproach to Accelerating the Digital Transition (the ‘Digital Approach’). The objective is to highlight lessons from the Bank’s experiences with digitalisation, which in turn will support the ongoing implementation of the Digital Approach.
The Kafr El-Sheikh Project
The Kafr El-Sheikh Project is a €55 million sovereign loan to co-finance a European Investment Bank (EIB) loan of €77 million and a Neighbourhood Investment Fund (NIF) grant of €10.4 million for the expansion of wastewater treatment in the Kafr El-Sheikh governorate in the Arab Republic of Egypt. The primary use of financing was for the construction of two new Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs) and the expansion of three pre-existing WWTPs. There were two clear digitalisation components to this project. Firstly, the WWTPs were to be installed with digital Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. Secondly, an EBRD managed Technical Cooperation (TC) assignment helped the national water holding company develop a mobile phone application (‘Mobile 125 app’) to improve communication and engagement with customers. This study focuses on the installation of a SCADA system at the Motobas WWTP, which lies within the Kafr El Sheikh governorate, as part of the upgrade plan there. This study also focuses on the development of the Mobile 125 app.
Lessons from the Bank’s previous experience with digitalisation
Assessing the course of implementation, as well as the outcomes that digitalisation has contributed to on the Kafr El-Sheikh project, provides six lessons for the EBRD to consider on its journey of becoming a digital partner across the regions where the Bank works.