New desalination plants planned for Águilas and Torrevieja to increase water supply in Murcia and Alicante
These major infrastructure projects aim to ease groundwater pressure and provide more fresh water for the area
Two large desalination projects are moving forward in Águilas and Torrevieja, with the Confederación Hydrográfica del Segura (CHS) preparing to tender preliminary construction plans.
Together, the two plants are expected to produce up to 150 cubic hectometres (hm³) of desalinated water per year – 50hm³ from Águilas and 100hm³ from Torrevieja – and will tackle two key challenges: the shortage of water for irrigation and the overuse of groundwater in areas linked to the Tagus-Segura Transfer canals.
The Águilas facility will serve the southwest of the Region of Murcia and parts of Almería province, while the Torrevieja plant will mainly supply the province of Alicante and the Campo de Cartagena.
The CHS has divided the tender into two parts. The first covers the Águilas project with a budget of €876,083, and the second, Torrevieja, with €960,662. The total budget is just over €1.8 million, with the planning phase expected to last one year.
In Águilas, the desalinated water will be split into two uses. Around 33.5hm³ will relieve pressure on overused aquifers in areas such as Sierra Espuña, Bajo Guadalentín, Mazarrón and Bullas. A further 16.5hm³ will be used to supply towns including Pliego, Lorca, Librilla, Alhama de Murcia, Totana, Sangonera and parts of Almería. The project also plans to address water needs in Pantano de la Cierva, Puebla and Yéchar.
Meanwhile, the Torrevieja plant will produce 58.5hm³ to support irrigation in areas like Campo de Cartagena, Albatera and La Pedrera, with 52.7hm³ delivered directly and 5.8hm³ via swap. An additional 41.5hm³ will go toward replenishing overexploited groundwater sources such as Cabo Roig and Vega Alta del Segura.
Exact locations for the new plants are yet to be confirmed. However, it is known that Águilas’ facility will be built on the southern coast of the Region of Murcia, and Torrevieja’s plant is expected to be near the La Pedrera reservoir. Both will be connected to existing desalination facilities and powered by dedicated solar energy systems.
The infrastructure will also include pipelines, pumps, reservoirs and electrical lines to integrate the new plants into the current water supply network.
Images: CHS
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