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TORREVIEJA SALT PLANT TO BE SECOND BIGGEST IN WORLD
Staff Reporter / 2009-04-16 16:12:27
The Torrevieja Salt Refinery will be the second biggest in the world and the biggest producer of drinking water in Europe, when completed. Finally, after a month’s delay, permission has been granted to link the pipelines from the new desalination plant to the sea.
The Regional Valencian Government and the Town Hall couldn’t agree on the pipe work going from the sea to the plant, but the matter was resolved last week. The Poniente Port will be where the pipes will start from. Two will be laid, one to take the water from the sea, and the other to return the salt sludge back into the Mediterranean. This pipe work will have to cross the town centre, including the old heart of the town. This has been the main cause of concern for the local and regional government, and the reason for the year’s delay on the project. However, the public company, Acuamed have finally been given the go ahead. This company had already invested 300 million euros into the project and were just awaiting this final permission to be able to finish. The town should have been drinking water from the plant last year. It is expected that 80 cubic hectometers of clean water will be produced annually.
Over the past weeks geotechnical studies have been carried out to guarantee the viability of the project. Local residents can now look forward to huge ditches being dug along streets and throughout the town, into which the pipes will be laid. The route will go from the Poniente Port to Acequión Sur and along Las Lagunas Park. It has been proposed that a raised platform will be built along the Poniente Beach to enable visitors to avoid the disruptive building work.
The pipes used will be big, so the streets along which they are to be laid have to be wide. Calle Maestro Quino has been chosen. They will all be placed underground. The drinking water will then be transported towards the Pedrera lake. Over 215 million euros are budgeted for the building work. If all goes to plan the desalination plant should be ready by 2010.
Tags: Desalination, Torrevieja
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