Tuesday, August 25, 2009

The connecting link

At long last the final stage for the desalinisation plant at Torrevieja is scheduled to begin. On the 15th September, the company Acuamed will begin the difficult process of laying the two metre pipe that will draw water from the sea to the plant.

Controversy has dogged this project which will now be over three years late in completion. At a cost of 300 million euros, the Torevieja desalination plant will be the largest in Europe. It is a flagship project of the socialist government and has seen objections raised by both the local council and the Valencian government. Even now, there is no guarantee of sufficient electricity at an economic price to run it.

Work on this last stage, which was postponed for the holiday period, will take the tube 8 metres below ground level under Vía Parque via the town to the salt quay. Streets will be closed and there will be dust and noise. By way of compensation for all this, Acuamed have agreed to fund 30 million Euros worth of improvements in Torrevieja to benefit the communities affected.

Laying this pipeline is going to be a tricky operation, not least because of the busy roads that the pipe will cross but because the constructors will have to avoid cutting existing services that are already laid underground. Let us hope for everyone’s sake that it goes as smoothly as possible.

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