Sacyr wins multi-million dollar concession for water treatment and reuse in Antofagasta, Chile

 

The Spanish company Sacyr Water has won the tender to develop the largest water reuse project in Latin America, located in the region of Antofagasta, Chile. The concession, granted by the Sanitary Services Company (Econssa), involves an investment of nearly 292 million dollars (260 million euros) by Sacyr Agua.

 

This project, which marks the second concession obtained by Sacyr so far this year after the expansion of Eastern Routes in Paraguay, will last 35 years. Sacyr Agua will be responsible for the maintenance and development of this crucial infrastructure in the north of the country.

 

The initiative seeks to significantly improve the quality of life of Antofagasta residents and also provide treated water to various mining companies operating in the region, promoting water sustainability in an area with high demand for this resource.

 

New high-capacity treatment plant

 

The project, which already has the Environmental Qualification Resolution approved in December 2020, contemplates the construction of a new treatment plant in the sector of Salar del Carmen. This facility will have the capacity to process up to 900 liters per second of pretreated wastewater from the current Antofagasta plant, also operated by Sacyr Agua.

 

With this new award, Sacyr strengthens its presence in Chile, where it operates through three business lines.

 

 

The future plant will focus on the production of reused water, primarily for mining, which is expected to substantially improve regional sustainability indices and generate more than 500 jobs in the area.

 

To convey the pre-treated water, 16 kilometers of pipelines will be built to the Salar del Carmen, including a 5,4-kilometer section in the urban area that will be built using microtunneling. Additionally, 24 kilometers of pipelines will be extended to La Negra and another 24 kilometers to White Cloaks.

 

The new treatment plant is expected to begin operations in 2028.

 

"This plant is the most important reuse project in Latin America, and the scale of what this concession entails will set a pioneering trend in wastewater reuse," he emphasized. Luke of Mark, general manager of Sacyr Agua in Chile.

 

With this new contract, Sacyr strengthens its presence in Chile, where it operates through three business lines (Sacyr Agua, Sacyr Concesiones, and Sacyr Ingeniería e Infraestructuras) with projects in 14 of the country's 16 regions.