Will it ever be finished?

The desalination plant in Torrevieja is meant ot be the largest in Spain. At a cost of 300 million Euros, it should supply 80 cubic hectometres of water per year, enough to water 8,000 hectares of land and provide drinking water for 440,000 inhabitants.

However it has been dogged by delays all the way through the construction phase by wrangling's between the two main political parties. The project was the brainchild of the socialist government which faces opposition from the conservative regional government. Initially the PP opposed the plan suggesting that a transfer of water from the Ebro would be a better solution. They stopped construction of the pipeline that will take the desalinated water to the Embalse de la Pedrera  on environmental grounds because it ran close to the parkland of the lagoons. Then there were problems with the electricity supply to the plant.

Now there is opposition to the  final section of the two pipelines that will bring sea water to the plant and return saline water to the sea. The Valencian Autonomous Government are the ones who manage the port at Torrevieja and they are refusing to give permission to Acuamed to complete the pipeline on economic grounds. It seems that Acuamed are refusing to make a cash payment to the salt company.

  I’m sure the problem will be resolved but until it is there is a plant costing an enormous amount of money sitting idle.