The Board of Directors of the Sociedad Estatal Aguas de las Cuencas Mediterráneas (Acuamed), under the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), has approved the tender for the operation and maintenance service, and the drafting of the construction project and execution of works to improve the energy efficiency of the desalination plant in Carboneras (Almería), for more than 40 million euros.
The contract includes the operation and maintenance of the facilities, as well as the drafting of the construction project and execution of the energy improvement of the plant. The direct link and complementarity of the benefits advises its treatment as a single functional unit, with the aim of achieving full operation of the desalination plant in the best energy conditions.
The improvement of the energy efficiency of the plant consists of replacing the existing Pelton turbines in 10 of the 12 reverse osmosis process lines of the plant with isobaric chambers. In this process, to guarantee the correct operation of the installation, it is a priority to demonstrate previous experience in the installation of electromechanical equipment with similar characteristics, as well as in its operation and maintenance.
THE WORKS WILL PRIORITIZE THE SUPPLY OF WATER TO USERS
In order to maintain the guarantees of desalinated water supply, the project includes the program and execution of these efficiency improvements in accordance with the water production schedule demanded by users at all times, prioritizing the satisfaction of these consumptions in the execution plan of the works.
The base budget for the tender amounts to a total of 40,442,277.64 euros, VAT included, which is broken down into the following items:
· Operation and maintenance: 26,191,094.88 euros.
· Drafting of the construction project: 346,164.54 euros.
· Execution of works: 13,905,018.22 euros.
The development of this project will increase the efficiency of this hydraulic infrastructure both in the supply and in the irrigation of the area, increasing the quality and reducing the energy cost of the 120,000 cubic meters that it provides daily.