A new sewage plant was opened in Cypriot capital Nicosia by the mayors of northern and southern part of the city as a joint initiative of the city's Greek and Turkish population.

The high-tech plant costs EUR 29 M, with a third of the money provided by the European Union, BusinessWeek reported.

Up to 30 000 cubic meters of waste could be handed by the new facility and serve the needs of 270 000 people, out of Cyprus's 1.1 M people.

Power from biogas will also be generated in the plant to cover part of the island's energy needs.

It took five years to build the waste-water facility, the idea of which was first drafted in end-1990s. The EU's Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule, who attended the opening ceremony, hailed the event as a signal that "local leaders have put the needs of their community first".

Previously, a waste-water treatment plant existed in Cypriot capital and was used both by the north and south, but became outdated. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 into two parts along ethnic lines, with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is recognized only by Turkey.

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