Thiess Services Awarded $300 Million Contract to Set Up Debris Recycling Facility in Abu Dhabi

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--On February 1, the Centre of Waste Management Abu Dhabi (CWMAD) awarded a 15-year concession agreement valued at $300 million to Thiess Services Middle East LLC (TSME) for the design and construction of a recycling facility. The contract was signed during a nine-day Brisbane business mission in the Middle East. TSME is a joint-venture company between Al Habtoor Engineering Enterprises Company LLC, a subsidiary of the Al Habtoor Leighton Group (Dubai, UAE), and Thiess Services Pty Limited, a subsidiary of Thiess Pty Limited (Brisbane, Queensland). The joint venture was formed in 2008 to provide utilities management, waste management, remediation of contaminated sites, and facilities management services in the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf region.

The contract involves the design and construction of a recycling facility that will manage the debris produced during construction and demolition activities in Abu Dhabi. The facility will produce recycled products that can be reused in construction projects. The design and construction of the facility is expected to begin immediately after the contract formalities are concluded. Development of the facility is scheduled for completion within a period of 12 months. This will be followed by 14 years of concession operations.

The project is the first large project of the joint venture and represents a significant branching out of the Leighton Group's business interests in the Gulf region. Michael Wright, Executive General Manager of Thiess Services, expressed his appreciation of the CWMAD for having the determination and vision to recycle waste generated by construction activities instead of sending it to a landfill facility. The move is sure to decrease the demand and pressure on resources that usually have to be brought in from other parts of the United Arab Emirates. David Savage, Managing Director of the Al Habtoor Leighton Group (ASX:LEI) (Sydney, Australia), said the project indicated Abu Dhabi's seriousness about reducing its carbon footprint. He said his company looks forward to providing Abu Dhabi's construction sector with recycled products of high quality and helping the emirate enhance its environmental management efforts.

Thiess Services was set up in the late 1980s and is one of Australia's most diverse, innovative, and versatile utilities and environmental contracting organizations. It is a national environmental and utilities contracting firm, and has operations in Australia, New Zealand, and the Middle East. The company offers its expertise and provides services in the areas of facilities management, remediation of contaminated sites, utilities management, and waste management, telecommunications, and transport infrastructure.

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