Veolia wins seawater desalination contract in Spain

Veolia Water (Paris: VIE) has won a contract as part of a consortium for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of a seawater desalination plant using reverse osmosis.

The plant will be located at Campo de Dalías in the province of Almeria in southern Spain.

The project is part of a national desalination plant program launched by the Spanish Ministry for the Environment through Acuamed, the public water agency responsible for the development of the plant.

The contract covers the construction of the desalination plant, followed by its operation for 15 years. It has a total value of around €128 million.

Veolia will be in charge of the process components, and Spanish companies Sando, Inypsa and Montajes Electricos Crescencio Perez will be responsible for the construction, civil engineering and management components. Veolia will operate the plant.

The water produced will be used for mixed usage: drinking and irrigation. The plant will have a daily capacity of 80,000 cubic meters of drinking water, with a total of 30 million cubic meters/year. It is to be the fourth biggest seawater desalination unit in Spain.

Veolia has built three major similar plants in Israel, Australia and Oman.

To reduce electricity consumption, Veolia Water will use latest Isobar energy recovery technologies. In addition, solar panels will be fitted on the buildings, although these initiatives will not be sufficient to power the desalination process.

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