The Council of Ministers, on the proposal of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO), approved on Tuesday the expansion works and the operation and maintenance service of the desalination plant of Águilas-Guadalentín (Region of Murcia).
These works, with an estimated value of 57.8 million euros and declared of General Interest of the State, have been entrusted to the state company Aguas de las Cuencas Mediterráneo (ACUAMED), in accordance with the direct management agreement between this company and MITECO.
The deadline for the execution of the works is 24 months, in which the works corresponding to the tests of operating systems are included. The duration of the maintenance contract is 48 months, with an option for a maximum extension of 12 months.
INCREASED DEMAND FOR WATER RESOURCE
The plant is currently operational, but the situation of scarcity of water resources in the Segura River Basin since 2015 caused an increase in requests for water supply from the desalination plant by current users of the plant. To this is added the beginning in the supply to the Commonwealth of the Canals of the Tabilla for supply to the population due, also, to the shortage of resources.
Therefore, the works of expansion of the production capacity from 60 hm3/year to 70 hm3/year must be addressed, as well as the operation and maintenance of the Águilas desalination plant while the actions are executed. To expand the capacity, two additional racks will be installed, among other modifications of the pretreatment and seawater harvesting system.