Aqualia will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the desalination plant of La Marina Baja - located in Mutxamel (Alicante) - and its distribution network over the next two years. The company's bid, worth €2.63M, was selected as the winning bid by the public entity Acuamed (Mediterranean Basin Waters), after the analysis proved it was the most successful in technical and economic terms when compared to all other bids received. Aqualia will commission the plant within the next few months.

The La Marina Baja desalination plant is one of the largest sea water desalination facilities in Europe's Mediterranean coast. This infrastructure has a water production capacity of 50,000 m3/day (18 Hm3 or 18,000,000 m3 per year), which can be expanded to up to 80,000 m3/day (29 Hm3 per year).

From a technical point of view, the plant uses to cutting-edge systems: a hybrid membrane system, which optimises quality and consumption, and a Split partial system, which produces two different water quality types.

Vast experience in desalination plant projects: national and international references

Aqualia has over 20 years of experience in reverse osmosis desalination processes and is one of the global leaders in the use of this technology.

Aqualia is one of the 20 leading global companies in desalination in terms of installed capacity, according to the British Magazine, Global Water Intelligence (GWI), and has 23 benchmark desalination plants built in the Mediterranean, Canary Islands, Chile and Mexico. Aqualia has a total production volume of 840,000 m3/day (cubic metres per day).

Aqualia has developed different projects, which are currently in operation, such as the SWDPs (Sea Water Desalination Plant) of Mostaganem (200,000 m3/day) and Cap D’Jinet (100,000 m3/day), in Algeria; the island of Djerba (50,000 m3/day), in Tunisia; or Minera Candelaria (45,000 m3/day) and Sierra Gorda (9,000 m3/day), both in Chile.

In addition, another two plants are currently being executed, such as the El Alamein plant (150,000 m3/day), in Egypt, or the Empalme-Guaymas plant (18,000 m3/day), in Mexico.

In Spain, Aqualia has built benchmark desalination plants, such as the SWDP of La Tordera II (Blanes-Girona 62,000 m3/day); Lanzarote IV (Costa Teguise-Lanzarote 30,000 m3/day); Janubio (Playa Blanca-Lanzarote 18,000 m3/day); San Antonio (Sant Antoni de Portmany-Ibiza 18,000 m3/day); Santa Eularia (Santa Eularia des Rius-Ibiza 15,000 m3/day); Fonsalía (Guía de Isora-Tenerife 14,000 m3/day); Ibiza (Ibiza 12,500 m3/day) or La Caleta (Adeje-Tenerife 11,000 m3/day).

 In addition, Aqualia has a sea water treatment capacity that exceeds 130,000 m3/day and other important plants, such as the plant in Algodor river, Toledo (production capacity of 62,208 m3/day), Campo de Calatrava, in Ciudad Real (19,440 m3/day), or Racons, in Denia (16,200 m3/day).

Aqualia's responsibilities in desalination projects range from the design, construction, operation and maintenance phases to comprehensive management of infrastructures under the BOT scheme (Build, Operate and Transfer) or as concessions.

In July 2018, the International Desalination Association (IDA) gave the "IDA Exceptional Utility Leader in Water Reuse and Conservation" award to Aqualia, in recognition for its excellent public and private service management performance, implementing innovative water reusage and conservation projects with great success.