Spain, July 04, 2024.
GS Inima Brasil celebrated the signing of the concession contract for water and sewage treatment in the city of Ourinhos, for a period of 30 years, marking an important milestone for the development of sanitation infrastructure in the region.
The contract was formalized on Monday, July 01, in a ceremony held at the Auditorium of the Ourinhos University Center (Unifio) and was attended by Mayor Lucas Pocay, Secretary of the Environment Mauricio Amorosini, CEO of GS Inima Brasil Paulo Roberto de Oliveira, CFO Fernando Schlieper, the Technical Director Carlos Roberto Ferreira, Director of Development and New Business Giuliano Drogone, and the Technical Director of GS Inima SAMAR (Araçatuba) Eduardo Caldeira, as well as the directors of Traçado Engenharia – partner in the Ourinhos Sanitation Consortium – Everton and Rodrigo Andreetta.
The GS Inima – Traçado consortium will be responsible for the services of water treatment and distribution, collection, removal, and treatment of domestic wastewater in the city of Ourinhos in São Paulo. The concession aims to serve the entire population of the city, currently around 114 thousand inhabitants, over a period of 30 years, with an investment of 36,5 million euros, equivalent to 200 million reais, in addition to the payment awarded in the bidding process.
In October 2024, during the first period of assisted operation, GS Inima Brasil will oversee the operation carried out by the current Secretary of the Environment and Agriculture of Ourinhos. After this period, in November of the same year, the company will definitively assume the operation of water supply and sanitary sewage.
“When we learned about the public tender issued by the Municipality of Ourinhos, we mobilized to study in detail all the demands of the bidding documents, and with our experience and knowledge, along with our partners, we were able to offer the best technical solution and the best commercial proposal for the city. The population of Ourinhos will benefit from the entire know-how of the GS Inima Group, which is a reference in the sanitation sector. We have examples of cities like Araçatuba, Ribeirão Preto, and Santa Rita do Passa Quatro, served by GS Inima Brasil, which are ranked among cities with better sanitation in the country according to leading sector entities such as Instituto Trata Brasil and ABES.”
In the signing ceremony, CEO of GS Inima Brasil emphasized that throughout the concession, the planned investment in infrastructure amounts to approximately 23 million euros, equivalent to 141 million Brazilian reais, with 12 million euros (R$ 75 million) allocated in the first 3 years. This initial investment includes the construction of the new Wastewater Treatment Plant, interceptors, sewer networks, and pumping stations.
“We will also invest in human capital, creating around 100 direct jobs, in addition to subcontracted roles. Everyone will be trained for field work and customer service, which will operate 24/0800 via a toll-free hotline, WhatsApp, and a website”
“The Consortium GS Inima – Traçado was formed by uniting the internationally recognized greatness and competence of GS Inima with Traçado’s almost 30 years of experience in works in this segment. Our commitment to sustainability, efficiency and innovation, allied to our values, will have as its main objective to provide an excellent service to the entire Ourinhos community.”
For its part, the mayor of Ourinhos, Lucas Pocay, thanked the companies that trusted this project, which will establish Ourinhos as a benchmark in sanitation.
“Our city will now be managed by a company with a proven track record, competence, and a contract that ensures the treatment of 100% of wastewater, preparing the city for the next 30 years.”
The mayor also highlighted the 45 million euros (R$ 277 million) payment that the municipality will receive for the concession, enabling investments in city infrastructure such as roads and healthcare improvements.
The Concession Contract for Water and Wastewater Treatment Services was signed by Mayor Lucas Pocay, representatives of GS Inima Brasil (Paulo Roberto de Oliveira, Fernando Schlieper, and Giuliano Dragone), Director of Traçado Construções Everton Andreetta, and President of the Regulating Agency of Alto Paranapanema, Oscar Gozzi.
About the concession
Following challenges related to basic sanitation, the municipality of Ourinhos initiated the process for the concession of sanitation services in 2017, launching the Expression of Interest Procedure (PMI) to study the technical and economic feasibility of implementing the urban sewerage system.
During the 2019 water crisis and in response to the need for investments in system innovation and the implementation of new technologies, studies conducted by the municipality, in collaboration with FUNPAR (Foundation of the University of Paraná), concluded that the resources and technical expertise to achieve the sanitation goals of the 2030 agenda would not be possible without a full concession. Therefore, the process began for the comprehensive concession of water and sewerage services in the city.
The technical team of GS Inima Brasil deep dive in the city, understanding local demands and the entire water supply and wastewater treatment process. Within this context, a detailed technical plan was developed for the city’s sanitation, along with direct and indirect benefits for the population and the environment, including city water security, improved quality of life, health, and well-being.
Legitimacy in the process
In total, five companies participated in the bidding process for the concession of public services for drinking water supply and sanitary sewerage, where the GS Inima – Traçado Consortium emerged as the winner of the auction, presenting the best financial proposal.
The public auction bidding was conducted at the B3, São Paulo Stock Exchange, on April 3, 2024, reinforcing the importance of transparency and credibility in processes crucial for city development.
Socioeconomic development
By taking a new operation, GS Inima Brasil cares about the communities it serves, believing that delivering water and sanitation services with excellence and quality is fundamental to ensuring health, environmental preservation, and socioeconomic development of the municipality.
The concession will provide a positive impact on the community, with the hiring and skill development of local professionals, thereby stimulating the growth of the local economy.