TYPSA and Engecorps form part of the consortium led by the Greek firm GK Consulting Engineers, which has been awarded the contract to act as the Independent Engineer for the Lasithi irrigation project in eastern Crete. This is a public-private partnership (PPP) contract promoted by the Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food, with construction and operation to be carried out by GEK TERNA. The team has commenced work following a meeting in Athens with representatives from the Ministry and the concessionaire.
The contract, signed in August 2026 with an investment of 87.9 million euros and a term of 25 years, entrusts the company with the design, financing, construction and operation of two irrigation systems. In Lerapetra, the Agios Ioannis dam, 52 metres high and with a capacity of 1.7 hm³, will enable the irrigation of some 750 ha. In Sitia, the Choklakia reservoir, with a capacity of around 825,000 m³, will serve a further 600 ha. Both systems will comprise pumping stations, conveyances and pressurised irrigation networks.
The Ministry and the concessionaire jointly appoint the Independent Auditor, who is responsible for monitoring compliance with the PPP contract and the progress of the works against the schedule. Their responsibilities include the issuance of completion certificates for each system, supervision of commissioning and acceptance tests, quarterly reporting to the Ministry, and verification of compliance with environmental permits and conditions. The Independent Auditor’s contract covers the entire construction period and ends six months after the works are made available for operation, with the option to extend it into the operation phase.
Construction is scheduled to take 42 months, followed by 21.5 years of operation during which the concessionaire is remunerated through an availability payment.
The TYPSA Group holds a 25 per cent stake in the consortium, of which TYPSA accounts for 23 per cent and Engecorps for 2 per cent. The contract is managed through TYPSA’s Strategic Infrastructure Consultancy Division.
Eastern Crete is one of the agricultural areas in Greece with the greatest water scarcity, and its economy depends largely on farming. The planned infrastructure will enable winter rainwater to be stored for use during the dry months and will provide a regulated and predictable water supply to some 1,350 ha, facilitating crop planning. Furthermore, pressurised networks and telemetric flow control will help to reduce losses and optimise the use of stored water.
